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车

chē

Draw one wheel into it and anything becomes 车

The picture A wheel on an axle, rolling along with goods and people loaded on top. 车 rolls forward on wheels; 马 runs forward on four legs.

Characters

Where the picture shows up in 车

  1. you turn the wheel

    我开车送你回家。

    wǒ kāichē sòng nǐ huí jiā

    I'll drive you home.

    Hands on the wheel, rolling someone right up to their front door

    开车 is to drive; riding as a passenger is 坐车.

  2. wheeled boxes in a row

    火车晚了二十分钟。

    huǒchē wǎn le èrshí fēnzhōng

    The train was twenty minutes late.

    Wheeled carriages coupled into one line, rolling along the rails

  3. bringing the rolling to a stop

    前面不能停车。

    qiánmiàn bù néng tíngchē

    No parking up ahead.

    A turning wheel coming to rest at the kerb, a door swinging open

    停车 is to stop the vehicle; 停车场 is the wide ground where they sit.

  4. where wheels come to rest

    到车站给我打电话。

    dào chēzhàn gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà

    Call me when you get to the station.

    Several vehicles halted side by side while people step down

    车站 covers bus stops and train stations alike.

  5. a wheel turned by your legs

    我每天骑自行车上班。

    wǒ měitiān qí zìxíngchē shàngbān

    I bike to work every day.

    Feet pushing pedals, turning two wheels forward under their own power

    自行车 is the cart that goes by itself; 骑 is the straddling.

All of it in one picture

车 is a wheel fixed on an axle. When you turn that wheel yourself it is driving; when wheeled boxes are coupled in a line it is a train. Stop the rolling wheel and it is parking; the place where wheels come to rest is a station; turn the wheel with your own legs and it is a bicycle. So every word holding 车 points to the same thing: something that rolls and carries.

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