Kilo Lingo

(kāi chē) - drive a car in Mandarin

kāichē

Traditional: 開車

Line drawing of 开车
Coloured illustration of 开车
HSK 3
#790 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

drive a car

Word origin

开车 means to drive a car. 开 (kāi) is to open or operate (from 開, hands unbarring a gate). 车 (chē) is a pictograph of a chariot or cart seen from above, simplified from 車.

Origin
compound
Root
开 (kāi, to operate) + 车 (chē, vehicle)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 开

Stroke order for 车

Examples

He can drive a car.

Please drive carefully.

I drive to work.

He is driving to the airport.

xuě

Don't drive on snowy days.

开车 (kāi chē) means drive a car. It is used as a verb in everyday Mandarin speech.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 16.