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火车 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
火车huǒchētrainHSK 1, unknown, rank #1739, Easy
huǒchē(huo3che1) T3
  1. 1train
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March 24, 2026
火车(火車)huǒchē(huo3che1)

火车 (huǒchē) means 'train' in Mandarin. It refers specifically to a locomotive that pulls cars on a railway and is commonly used for both passenger and freight transport. In everyday language, it is an essential term for discussing travel, transportation, and infrastructure in China.

Frequency#1739DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

Trains are a vital part of China's transportation system, especially for long-distance travel during holidays like Spring Festival, when millions of people return home. The concept of '春运' (Chunyun, Spring Festival travel rush) is closely associated with火车.

Memory Tip

Imagine a train (火车) as a fiery (火) vehicle (车) moving along the tracks. The fire represents speed and energy, associated with trains that often travel quickly across vast landscapes.

Meanings of 火车

huǒchē(huo3che1)
1train
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About 火车

火车Simplified
火車Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
列Measure Word
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 火车

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Podcast: 火车

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AI Study Notes for 火车

Quick Contrast

地铁 (subway) - use 火车 for long-distance rail transport, while 地铁 is for urban transit.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a train (火车) as a fiery (火) vehicle (车) moving along the tracks. The fire represents speed and energy, associated with trains that often travel quickly across vast landscapes.

Usage Notes

Learners may confuse 火车 with other transportation terms like 轮船 (lúnchuán, ship) or 汽车 (qìchē, car). This word is used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious with pronunciation, as the tones can change the meaning of similar words.

HSK Study Tips

火车 is not listed in HSK levels, but it is useful for learners around HSK 2-3. Focus on using it in context, such as discussing travel plans or asking for ticket information.

Cultural Note

Trains are a vital part of China's transportation system, especially for long-distance travel during holidays like Spring Festival, when millions of people return home. The concept of '春运' (Chunyun, Spring Festival travel rush) is closely associated with火车.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is mispronouncing 火车 as 'huo4 che1', using the wrong tone for '火'. The correct pronunciation is 'huo3 che1'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 火车

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Component Characters

火huǒfire
HSK 44 strokes火
View full entry
车chēcar
HSK 14 strokes车
View full entry

Write 火车

火
车

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Cultural Notes for 火车

🏮Cultural insight

Trains are a vital part of China's transportation system, especially for long-distance travel during holidays like Spring Festival, when millions of people return home. The concept of '春运' (Chunyun, Spring Festival travel rush) is closely associated with火车.

Frequently Asked Questions about 火车

Train station is 火车站 (huǒchē zhàn).