Vehicles

1. 汽车

   Qìchē

   Car

   Usage

   The general word for a car. In daily speech "chē" alone is enough

2. 公交车

   Gōngjiāochē

   City bus

   Usage

   The city bus. Show it with the route number to get pointed to the right stop. In Taiwan it is "gōngchē"

3. 长途汽车

   Chángtú qìchē

   Long-distance coach

   Usage

   The intercity coach. The terminal is "chángtú qìchēzhàn"

4. 火车

   Huǒchē

   Train

   Usage

   Trains in general, including conventional lines. The station is "huǒchēzhàn". You need your passport to board

5. 高铁

   Gāotiě

   High-speed rail

   Usage

   The backbone of intercity travel in China; train numbers start with "G". Tickets are tied to your passport, so bring it

6. 动车

   Dòngchē

   D-series fast train

   Usage

   A fast train with a "D" number — a bit slower and cheaper than "gāotiě". Show it when choosing at the counter

7. 地铁

   Dìtiě

   Subway

   Usage

   The way to move around big cities; entrances are marked "dìtiě". In Taiwan it is called "jiéyùn"

8. 轻轨

   Qīngguǐ

   Light rail

   Usage

   Elevated light rail. Chongqing's Liziba station, which runs through a building, is the famous one

9. 出租车

   Chūzūchē

   Taxi

   Usage

   Ask them to use the meter ("dǎbiǎo"). In Taiwan it is "jìchéngchē", in Hong Kong "dīshì"

10. 网约车

    Wǎngyuēchē

    Ride-hailing car

    Usage

    A car booked through an app such as DiDi. Airports and stations have dedicated pickup points

11. 摩托车

    Mótuōchē

    Motorcycle

    Usage

    A petrol motorbike. Many cities ban them in the centre. In Taiwan it is "jīchē"

12. 电动车

    Diàndòngchē

    Electric scooter

    Usage

    The most common vehicle on Chinese streets. They are silent, so watch behind you when walking

13. 三轮车

    Sānlúnchē

    Three-wheeler

    Usage

    Used for hutong tours and short hops. There is no meter, so agree the fare before you get in

14. 自行车

    Zìxíngchē

    Bicycle

    Usage

    You can rent one on Xi'an's city wall or in old Suzhou. In Taiwan it is "jiǎotàchē"

15. 共享单车

    Gòngxiǎng dānchē

    Shared bike

    Usage

    Meituan or Hello shared bikes, unlocked by scanning a QR code. You need a Chinese payment app registered first

16. 飞机

    Fēijī

    Airplane

    Usage

    Domestic flights also require your passport. The airport is "jīchǎng"

17. 船

    Chuán

    Boat

    Usage

    Covers everything from a West Lake rowboat to a Yangtze cruise

18. 轮渡

    Lúndù

    Ferry

    Usage

    The scheduled crossing — Xiamen's Gulangyu boat or the Huangpu River crossing in Shanghai

19. 缆车

    Lǎnchē

    Cable car

    Usage

    Essential at Huangshan, Huashan, and Zhangjiajie. Tell the counter whether you want one-way or return

20. 观光车

    Guānguāngchē

    Sightseeing shuttle

    Usage

    The electric cart that circles large scenic areas. Usually charged separately from the entry ticket

21. 面包车

    Miànbāochē

    Minivan

    Usage

    Literally "bread-loaf car". In rural areas it doubles as a shared taxi, and groups charter one

22. 卡车

    Kǎchē

    Truck

    Usage

    Use it when describing an accident or the cause of a jam

23. 救护车

    Jiùhùchē

    Ambulance

    Usage

    Dial 120 in an emergency. Show "jiào jiùhùchē" — call an ambulance

24. 租车

    Zūchē

    Car rental

    Usage

    An International Driving Permit is not valid in mainland China; you need a temporary Chinese licence. Chartering a car with a driver ("bāochē") is the practical option

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