Chinese word

候机

Pronunciation

Pinyinhòu jī

Meaning

  • verbwait for a flight

Example

我在机场候机，飞机还有两个小时。wǒ zài jī chǎng hòu jī fēi jī hái yǒu liǎng gè xiǎo shí

I'm waiting for my flight at the airport, and it leaves in two hours.

Illustration for 候机 (wait for a flight)

More examples

她在机场候机时买了杯咖啡。tā zài jī chǎng hòu jī shí mǎi le bēi kā fēi

She bought a cup of coffee while waiting for her flight at the airport.

Core concept

A traveler stays in the departure area during the gap between arriving at the airport and boarding.

Common phrases

  • 在机场候机zài jī chǎng hòu jī

    wait for a flight at the airport

  • 正在候机zhèng zài hòu jī

    be waiting for a flight

  • 在候机室里候机zài hòu jī shì lǐ hòu jī

    wait for a flight in the departure lounge

Similar words

等飞机děng fēi jī: Waiting for the plane in everyday speech.
等登机děng dēng jī: Waiting until passengers can board the plane.
等待děng dài: Remaining until an expected event or arrival takes place.

Definition in Chinese

在机场、登机口或候机室等待登机的动作或状态，指乘客在登机开始前的等候。zài jī chǎng dēng jī kǒu huò hòu jī shì děng dài dēng jī de dòng zuò huò zhuàng tài zhǐ chéng kè zài dēng jī kāi shǐ qián de děng hòu

Word origin

候 (hòu, "wait") + 机 (jī, "aircraft") combines the act of waiting with an aircraft reference, narrowing the meaning to the stage before boarding.

Usage tips

  • The word belongs to the before-boarding part of a journey, so waiting to collect luggage after landing requires a different expression in Chinese.

Other meanings

  • waiting for a flightnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word