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公车 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
公车gōngchēbusHSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, rank #4370, Very Hard
公车gōngchēcar belonging to an organization and used by its members (government car, police car, company car etc)HSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, rank #4370, Very Hard
公车gōngchēabbr. for 公共汽車|公共汽车[gong1 gong4 qi4 che1]HSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, rank #4370, Very Hard
公车gōngchēabbr. for 公務用車|公务用车[gong1 wu4 yong4 che1]HSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, rank #4370, Very Hard
gōngchē(gong1che1)gong che T1
  1. 1bus
  2. 2car belonging to an organization and used by its members (government car, police car, company car etc)
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March 24, 2026

公车(公車)gōngchē(gong1che1)

The term '公车' (gōng chē) refers primarily to a bus, particularly in the context of public transportation. Additionally, it can denote vehicles owned by an organization for official use, such as government or company cars. This term is commonly used in conversations about commuting and transportation in urban areas.

Strokes8Frequency#4370DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese cities, public transportation such as '公车' plays a significant role in daily life due to the high population density. Many urban residents rely on buses for their daily commutes, reflecting the importance of public transport in Chinese society.

Memory tip

Think of '公' (gōng) as 'public' and '车' (chē) as 'car' or 'vehicle'. Imagine a large, public bus with '公' written on it, symbolizing that it’s available for everyone. You can visualize a crowd of people boarding the '公车' to remember its meaning.

Meanings of 公车

gōngchē(gong1che1)
1bus
2car belonging to an organization and used by its members (government car, police car, company car etc)
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About 公车

公车Simplified
公車Traditional
8Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedBCT✓CEFRC2

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Podcast: 公车

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AI study notes for 公车

Quick Contrast

公交车 (gōngjiāo chē) refers specifically to public buses that are part of a bus rapid transit system, while 公车 (gōngchē) can also refer to vehicles for official use.

Usage Notes

'公车' is typically used in informal settings when discussing public transport. A common mistake is to confuse it with '私家车' (sī jiā chē), which means a private car. Remember that '公车' specifically refers to vehicles used for public or organizational purposes.

HSK Study Tips

For HSK learners, '公车' is useful for discussions about transportation, especially in urban contexts. Connecting it with other transportation-related vocabulary, such as '地铁' (subway) or '出租车' (taxi), can help reinforce learning at this level.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use '公车' to refer to any kind of vehicle, including private ones. For example, saying '我开公车' (wǒ kāi gōng chē) to mean 'I drive a car' is incorrect; it should be '我开私家车' (wǒ kāi sī jiā chē).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 公车

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Component characters

公gōngpublic
HSK 64 strokes八
View full entry
车chēcar
HSK 14 strokes车
View full entry

How to say bus in Chinese

“bus” in Chinese is公车gōngchē

The term '公车' (gōng chē) refers primarily to a bus, particularly in the context of public transportation. Additionally, it can denote vehicles owned by an organization for official use, such as government or company cars. This term is commonly used in conversations about commuting and transportation in urban areas.

When to use 公车

'公车' is typically used in informal settings when discussing public transport. A common mistake is to confuse it with '私家车' (sī jiā chē), which means a private car. Remember that '公车' specifically refers to vehicles used for public or organizational purposes.

公车 or something close to it

公交车 (gōngjiāo chē) refers specifically to public buses that are part of a bus rapid transit system, while 公车 (gōngchē) can also refer to vehicles for official use.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use '公车' to refer to any kind of vehicle, including private ones. For example, saying '我开公车' (wǒ kāi gōng chē) to mean 'I drive a car' is incorrect; it should be '我开私家车' (wǒ kāi sī jiā chē).

Write 公车

公
车

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Frequently asked questions about 公车

There is no difference; '公车' is simply an abbreviation for '公共汽车', which means the same thing.

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