jīchǎng: 机场 - Airport

• Keywords: jichang, 机场, Chinese for airport, how to say airport in Chinese, go to the airport in Chinese, travel in China, Chinese travel vocabulary, 飞机, flight in Chinese, Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word for “airport,” 机场 (jīchǎng). This guide breaks down the characters, explains its cultural significance as a symbol of modern China's rapid growth, and provides over 10 practical example sentences for travel. Whether you're flying into Beijing, Shanghai, or just learning basic Chinese, this page will help you navigate conversations about flights, terminals, and getting to and from the airport.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jīchǎng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: An airport; a place where airplanes take off and land.
• In a Nutshell: 机场 (jīchǎng) is the direct and universal word for “airport” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a highly logical compound word, combining “machine” (referring to airplanes) and “field.” It's one of the first and most crucial words you'll need for traveling in China.

• 机 (jī): This character means “machine” or “mechanism.” It's a key component in many words related to machinery, most notably 飞机 (fēijī), which means “airplane” (literally “flying machine”).
• 场 (chǎng): This character means a “large, open area,” “field,” or “venue.” You'll see it in words like 运动场 (yùndòngchǎng), a sports field, or 市场 (shìchǎng), a market.
• Word Logic: When you combine 机 (jī - machine) and 场 (chǎng - field), you get 机场 (jīchǎng), a “machine field”—a perfect and easy-to-remember description for an airfield or airport.

For modern China, the 机场 (jīchǎng) is more than just a transportation hub; it's a powerful symbol of the country's economic miracle, global integration, and national ambition. Since the “Reform and Opening Up” policy began in the late 1970s, China has been on an unprecedented construction spree, and its airports are showcase projects. Unlike some older airports in the West that may have grown organically and feel dated, major Chinese airports like Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) or Shanghai Pudong (PVG) are often marvels of modern architecture, engineering, and efficiency. They are statements of progress. For many Chinese citizens, domestic and international travel, once an impossible luxury, is now a reality. The airport, therefore, represents mobility, opportunity, and connection to the wider world. It's a physical manifestation of the “Chinese Dream,” embodying speed, scale, and a future-oriented mindset. The experience of using a major Chinese airport—often connected seamlessly to high-speed rail—is a point of national pride.

机场 (jīchǎng) is a neutral, everyday word used in all contexts, from casual conversations to formal announcements.

• Getting to the Airport: It's used when asking for directions, telling a taxi driver your destination, or discussing travel plans. For example, `师傅，去机场 (Shīfù, qù jīchǎng)` - “Driver, to the airport, please.”
• Location and Identity: When in a city with multiple airports like Shanghai or Beijing, you'll often specify the airport by name, e.g., `浦东机场 (Pǔdōng Jīchǎng)` for Pudong Airport or `首都机场 (Shǒudū Jīchǎng)` for Capital Airport.
• Airport Activities: While 机场 refers to the whole complex, in conversation, people use it as a general location for activities like picking someone up (`去机场接人 - qù jīchǎng jiē rén`) or shopping (`机场的免税店 - jīchǎng de miǎnshuìdiàn` - the airport's duty-free shop).

• Example 1:
  • 我们怎么去机场？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen zěnme qù jīchǎng?
  • English: How do we get to the airport?
  • Analysis: A fundamental question for any traveler. `怎么 (zěnme)` is “how,” and `去 (qù)` is “to go.”
• Example 2:
  • 我的朋友在机场等我。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de péngyǒu zài jīchǎng děng wǒ.
  • English: My friend is waiting for me at the airport.
  • Analysis: `在 (zài)` is used here to indicate a location where an action is taking place.
• Example 3:
  • 这个机场非常大和现代化。
  • Pinyin: Zhège jīchǎng fēicháng dà hé xiàndàihuà.
  • English: This airport is very big and modern.
  • Analysis: A common observation, especially for visitors to China's newer airports. `现代化 (xiàndàihuà)` means “modernized.”
• Example 4:
  • 请带我去首都机场三号航站楼。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng dài wǒ qù Shǒudū Jīchǎng sān hào hángzhànlóu.
  • English: Please take me to Terminal 3 of the Capital Airport.
  • Analysis: This is a practical and specific instruction for a taxi driver. Note how the airport name comes first, followed by the specific terminal `航站楼 (hángzhànlóu)`.
• Example 5:
  • 我需要提前三个小时到机场。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào tíqián sān ge xiǎoshí dào jīchǎng.
  • English: I need to arrive at the airport three hours in advance.
  • Analysis: `提前 (tíqián)` means “in advance” or “ahead of time,” a crucial concept for catching a flight.
• Example 6:
  • 爸爸开车送我去了机场。
  • Pinyin: Bàba kāichē sòng wǒ qùle jīchǎng.
  • English: Dad drove me to the airport.
  • Analysis: `送 (sòng)` here means “to see someone off” or “to drop someone off.” `开车 (kāichē)` means “to drive a car.”
• Example 7:
  • 机场的安检很严格。
  • Pinyin: Jīchǎng de ānjiǎn hěn yángé.
  • English: The airport's security check is very strict.
  • Analysis: `安检 (ānjiǎn)` is the word for security check. This is useful vocabulary for the travel process.
• Example 8:
  • 你在哪个机场降落？浦东还是虹桥？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài nǎge jīchǎng jiàngluò? Pǔdōng háishì Hóngqiáo?
  • English: Which airport are you landing at? Pudong or Hongqiao?
  • Analysis: A key question in cities with two airports, like Shanghai. `降落 (jiàngluò)` means “to land.” `还是 (háishì)` means “or” in a question.
• Example 9:
  • 机场大巴每半小时一班。
  • Pinyin: Jīchǎng dàbā měi bàn xiǎoshí yī bān.
  • English: The airport shuttle bus runs once every half hour.
  • Analysis: `大巴 (dàbā)` is a coach or shuttle bus. `每 (měi)` means “every,” and `一班 (yī bān)` refers to one run of a scheduled service.
• Example 10:
  • 由于天气原因，很多去机场的路都堵车了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, hěnduō qù jīchǎng de lù dōu dǔchē le.
  • English: Due to the weather, many roads to the airport are jammed with traffic.
  • Analysis: `由于 (yóuyú)` means “due to,” and `堵车 (dǔchē)` is the common term for a traffic jam.

• Airport vs. Other Stations: A common beginner mistake is mixing up transport hubs. The first character is your key!
  • 机场 (jīchǎng): Airport (机 for 飞机, airplane)
  • 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn): Train Station (火车 for train)
  • 汽车站 (qìchēzhàn): Bus Station (汽车 for car/bus)
  • 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn): Subway Station (地铁 for subway)
• “Airplane Station” is incorrect: While logically formed, nobody says `飞机站 (fēijīzhàn)`. The correct and only term is 机场 (jīchǎng). Using `飞机站` will immediately mark you as a non-native speaker.
  • Incorrect: `我要去飞机站。(Wǒ yào qù fēijīzhàn.)`
  • Correct: `我要去机场。(Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng.)`
• General vs. Specific: While you go “to the airport” (去机场), once you are inside, you will more often refer to specific locations like the terminal (航站楼, hángzhànlóu), boarding gate (登机口, dēngjīkǒu), or check-in counter (值机柜台, zhíjī guìtái).

• 飞机 (fēijī) - Airplane. The “flying machine” that uses the 机场.
• 航班 (hángbān) - Flight / Flight Number. The scheduled service you take from the airport.
• 航站楼 (hángzhànlóu) - Airport Terminal. A specific building within the 机场.
• 登机牌 (dēngjīpái) - Boarding Pass. The “pass” for “boarding the machine” (plane).
• 机票 (jīpiào) - Air ticket. The “machine ticket” you buy to fly.
• 起飞 (qǐfēi) - To take off. The action of a plane leaving the 机场.
• 到达 (dàodá) - To arrive. The action of a plane landing at the 机场.
• 接机 (jiējī) - To pick someone up from the airport. Literally “to receive at the machine (airport).”
• 送机 (sòngjī) - To see someone off at the airport. Literally “to send off at the machine (airport).”
• 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) - Train Station. A useful comparative term for another major transport hub.