HSK · Level 33
135 words
Chinese word
车上
Pronunciation
Pinyinchē shàng
Meaning
- nounin the car
Example
他现在在车上。tā xiàn zài zài chē shàng
He is in the car now.
More examples
她坐在车上。tā zuò zài chē shàng
She is sitting in the car.
Core concept
A vehicle is the place where someone is positioned, usually inside it but sometimes on top.
Common phrases
在车上zài chē shàng
in the car
坐在车上zuò zài chē shàng
sit in the car
Similar words
车里chē lǐ: The inside of a car, in casual spoken language.
车内chē nèi: The entire interior space of a vehicle, in formal usage.
车顶chē dǐng: The roof of a vehicle.
Definition in Chinese
表示位于车辆内部、在车厢中，常用于口语，含义与“在车内”相近。biǎo shì wèi yú chē liàng nèi bù zài chē xiāng zhōng cháng yòng yú kóu yǔ hán yì yǔ zài chē nèi xiāng jìn
Word origin
车 (chē, "vehicle") + 上 (shàng, "above/on") combines a vehicle with a position, and context tells whether the person is inside it or on top.
Usage tips
- English speakers may expect "on the car" to mean contact with the outside, but "on a bus" commonly means riding inside; this contrast explains why Chinese uses one pattern for both settings.
Other meanings
- on top of the carnoun
Opposites
- 车外chē wàioutside the carnoun