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| 车站 [2025/08/13 19:58] – created xiaoer | 车站 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== chēzhàn: 车站 - Station, Stop ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** chezhan, 车站, Chinese for station, train station in Chinese, bus stop in Chinese, what does chezhan mean, how to say station in Mandarin, HSK 2 vocabulary, Chinese travel vocabulary. | |
| * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese word **车站 (chēzhàn)**, meaning "station" or "stop". This guide breaks down the characters, explores the cultural significance of China's massive train and bus stations, and provides practical example sentences. Whether you're navigating a Chinese city's bus system or embarking on a high-speed rail journey, understanding **车站 (chēzhàn)** is a fundamental skill for any traveler or learner. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chēzhàn | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Noun | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** A station or stop for public transportation vehicles like buses or trains. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **车站 (chēzhàn)** is the general, go-to word for any place a vehicle stops to pick up or drop off passengers. Think of it as the basic building block you'll use before getting more specific, like "train station" or "bus stop". | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **车 (chē):** This character means "vehicle," "car," or "cart." It's a pictogram that originally looked like a chariot viewed from above, showing the wheels and axle. | |
| * **站 (zhàn):** This character means "to stand" or "a station/stop." It combines 立 (lì), meaning "to stand," with 占 (zhān), which provides the sound. | |
| * **Combined Meaning:** The characters literally combine to mean a "vehicle standing" place—a very logical and memorable way to form the word for "station." | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In China, a **车站 (chēzhàn)** is more than just a point on a map; it's a hub of human activity, emotion, and national pride. | |
| For Westerners, the scale of a major Chinese **车站**, especially a high-speed rail station (高铁站 - gāotiězhàn), can be astonishing. They are often larger and more modern than major international airports, functioning as massive, self-contained cities with shops, restaurants, and waiting halls that can accommodate thousands of people. | |
| These stations are symbols of China's rapid development and technological advancement. They are also the epicenters of the world's largest annual human migration during the Spring Festival (春节 - Chūnjié), when hundreds of millions of people travel home for family reunions. The scenes at a **车站** during this time—filled with tearful goodbyes, joyous greetings, and mountains of luggage—are a powerful testament to the importance of family in Chinese culture. | |
| On a smaller scale, the humble bus stop (公交车站 - gōngjiāo chēzhàn) is a cornerstone of daily urban life, a place where people from all walks of life wait, queue, and connect with the rhythm of the city. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **车站 (chēzhàn)** is a high-frequency word used in everyday conversations, especially when asking for directions or making travel plans. | |
| While **车站 (chēzhàn)** is a correct general term, in practice, Chinese speakers will almost always specify the type of station unless the context makes it obvious. | |
| * **Asking for Directions:** "请问，最近的地铁**车站**在哪里？" (Qǐngwèn, zuìjìn de dìtiě chēzhàn zài nǎlǐ? - Excuse me, where is the nearest subway station?) | |
| * **Making Plans:** "我们三点在火**车站**门口见。" (Wǒmen sān diǎn zài huǒchēzhàn ménkǒu jiàn. - Let's meet at the entrance of the train station at 3 o'clock.) | |
| * **On the Bus/Subway:** The automated announcement "下一站..." (xià yí zhàn..., "next stop...") is a variation you will hear constantly on public transport. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 我们应该在下一**个车站**下车。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen yīnggāi zài xià yí gè **chēzhàn** xià chē. | |
| * English: We should get off at the next station. | |
| * Analysis: A very common and practical sentence. "下一站" (xià yí zhàn) is also frequently used to mean "next stop". The "个 (gè)" is a measure word. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 请问，去火**车站**怎么走？ | |
| * Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, qù huǒ**chēzhàn** zěnme zǒu? | |
| * English: Excuse me, how do I get to the train station? | |
| * Analysis: This is a crucial survival phrase for any traveler in China. Note the specification "火车 (huǒchē)" for "train". | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 爸爸开车送我到**车站**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Bàba kāichē sòng wǒ dào **chēzhàn**. | |
| * English: Dad drove me to the station. | |
| * Analysis: The verb "送 (sòng)" here means "to see someone off" or "to drop someone off". | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 这个公交**车站**离我们公司很近。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè ge gōngjiāo **chēzhàn** lí wǒmen gōngsī hěn jìn. | |
| * English: This bus stop is very close to our company. | |
| * Analysis: Here, "公交 (gōngjiāo)" specifies it's a city bus stop, a very common combination. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 我在**车站**的便利店里买了一些零食。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ zài **chēzhàn** de biànlìdiàn lǐ mǎi le yìxiē língshí. | |
| * English: I bought some snacks at the convenience store in the station. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows how to describe activities happening *at* or *in* a station. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 新建的高铁**车站**非常现代化。 | |
| * Pinyin: Xīn jiàn de gāotiě **chēzhàn** fēicháng xiàndàihuà. | |
| * English: The newly built high-speed rail station is very modern. | |
| * Analysis: "高铁 (gāotiě)" is the word for China's famous high-speed rail. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 你最好提前去**车站**取票。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ zuìhǎo tíqián qù **chēzhàn** qǔ piào. | |
| * English: You'd better go to the station in advance to pick up your tickets. | |
| * Analysis: "取票 (qǔ piào)" means to collect or pick up tickets, a common activity at a station. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 从北京到上海，我们坐火车要经过很多**车站**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi, wǒmen zuò huǒchē yào jīngguò hěn duō **chēzhàn**. | |
| * English: Going from Beijing to Shanghai, we pass through many stations by train. | |
| * Analysis: "经过 (jīngguò)" means "to pass through" or "to go by". | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 这是这趟车的终点**站**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè shì zhè tàng chē de zhōngdiǎn**zhàn**. | |
| * English: This is this vehicle's terminal station. | |
| * Analysis: "终点站 (zhōngdiǎnzhàn)" is a useful compound, meaning "terminal" or "last stop". | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * **车站**里人山人海，非常热闹。 | |
| * Pinyin: **Chēzhàn** lǐ rén shān rén hǎi, fēicháng rènào. | |
| * English: The station was bustling with a sea of people. | |
| * Analysis: This uses the idiom "人山人海 (rén shān rén hǎi)" - literally "people mountain, people sea" - to describe a huge crowd, a very common sight at a Chinese station. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **Ambiguity:** The most common mistake for learners is using **车站 (chēzhàn)** alone when a specific type of station is required. If you tell a taxi driver "带我去车站 (dài wǒ qù chēzhàn)", they will likely ask, "哪个车站？火车站还是汽车站？" (Nǎge chēzhàn? Huǒchēzhàn háishì qìchēzhàn? - Which station? The train station or the long-distance bus station?). Always try to be specific. | |
| * **False Friends:** **车站 (chēzhàn)** does not mean "gas station." A gas station is **加油站 (jiāyóuzhàn)**, which literally means "add oil station." | |
| * **Specific vs. General Usage:** | |
| * **Correct (General):** 我要去车站买票。(Wǒ yào qù chēzhàn mǎi piào. - I need to go to the station to buy a ticket.) // //(Okay if the context is already clear, e.g., you are already holding a train schedule).// | |
| * **Better (Specific):** 我要去**火车站**买票。(Wǒ yào qù **huǒchēzhàn** mǎi piào. - I need to go to the **train station** to buy a ticket.) | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我要去**车站**给我的车加油。(Wǒ yào qù **chēzhàn** gěi wǒ de chē jiāyóu. - I need to go to the **station** to refuel my car.) //(This is wrong; you should use 加油站).// | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[火车站]] (huǒchēzhàn) - Train station. The most common type of large station. | |
| * [[地铁站]] (dìtiězhàn) - Subway / Metro station. | |
| * [[公共汽车站]] (gōnggòng qìchēzhàn) - Public bus station. Often shortened to [[公交站]] (gōngjiāo zhàn). | |
| * [[汽车站]] (qìchēzhàn) - Bus station, but specifically for long-distance coaches, not local city buses. | |
| * [[高铁站]] (gāotiězhàn) - High-speed rail station. | |
| * [[站台]] (zhàntái) - Platform (the specific place you stand to wait for the train/bus). | |
| * [[终点站]] (zhōngdiǎnzhàn) - Terminal station, the last stop on a route. | |
| * [[下一站]] (xià yí zhàn) - The next stop. You will hear this constantly on Chinese public transport. | |
| * [[上车]] (shàng chē) - To get on a vehicle. | |
| * [[下车]] (xià chē) - To get off a vehicle. | |