qíchē: 骑车 - To Ride a Bicycle/Motorcycle

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• Summary: Learn how to say “ride a bike” in Chinese with the essential verb 骑车 (qíchē). This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners, covering its core meaning, cultural significance in China (the “Bicycle Kingdom”), and practical use in modern daily life, including the bike-sharing revolution. Discover the crucial difference between 骑 (qí) and 坐 (zuò) to avoid common mistakes, and master this fundamental term with over 10 example sentences.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qíchē
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (This word is composed of a verb, 骑, and an object, 车, but it functions together as a single verb in sentences.)
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To ride a two-wheeled vehicle that one straddles, like a bicycle or motorcycle.
• In a Nutshell: 骑车 (qíchē) is the go-to Chinese verb for the action of riding a bike or motorbike. It literally combines “to straddle-ride” (骑) with “vehicle” (车). Think of the physical act of getting on a bicycle and pedaling away—that entire concept is captured in this simple, everyday word.

• 骑 (qí): This character means “to ride” or “to sit astride.” Its structure gives a clear clue to its origin: the left side is 马 (mǎ), meaning “horse.” The right side, 奇 (qí), provides the pronunciation. The character originally meant riding a horse, and its meaning expanded to include other vehicles you straddle.
• 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. Today, it's a general term for wheeled vehicles.

When combined, 骑 (qí) + 车 (chē) creates a logical and descriptive term: “to straddle-ride a vehicle.”

For decades, China was famously known as the 自行车王国 (zìxíngchē wángguó) - the “Bicycle Kingdom.” In the mid to late 20th century, bicycles were the dominant form of personal transportation. A bicycle wasn't just a vehicle; it was a symbol of status, a key component of a dowry, and the engine of mobility for hundreds of millions of people. 骑车 (qíchē) was an integral part of the sound, sight, and rhythm of daily Chinese life. This contrasts with Western culture, where cycling, for much of the same period, was viewed more as a child's activity, a recreational sport, or a niche form of commuting. In China, it was the mainstream, practical foundation of urban and rural transport. While the rise of the automobile has since changed the landscape, 骑车 is experiencing a massive, high-tech resurgence. The boom of dockless 共享单车 (gòngxiǎng dānchē), or shared bikes (like Mobike and HelloBike), has once again filled city streets with cyclists. Now, a person might 骑车 to the subway station, then take the train, seamlessly blending old and new forms of transport. The act of 骑车 remains deeply embedded in the Chinese experience, evolving from a symbol of socialist-era utility to one of modern urban convenience.

骑车 (qíchē) is an extremely common, informal verb used in a variety of everyday contexts.

• Daily Commuting: This is the most frequent use. People 骑车 to work, to school, to the market, or to the nearest subway station.
• Leisure and Exercise: It's also used for recreational cycling. Friends might decide to go 骑车 in a park or around a lake on a weekend.
• Specifying the Vehicle: While 骑车 is often understood to mean riding a bicycle, it can be ambiguous. To be specific, people will often say:
  • 骑自行车 (qí zìxíngchē): to ride a bicycle.
  • 骑摩托车 (qí mótuōchē): to ride a motorcycle.
  • 骑电动车 (qí diàndòngchē): to ride an e-bike/electric scooter (extremely common in China).

• Example 1:
  • 我每天骑车去上班。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān qíchē qù shàngbān.
  • English: I ride a bike to work every day.
  • Analysis: A classic, simple sentence describing a daily routine. This is one of the most common ways you'll hear 骑车 used.
• Example 2:
  • 你会骑车吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ huì qíchē ma?
  • English: Can you ride a bike?
  • Analysis: The verb 会 (huì) is used here to ask about a learned skill.
• Example 3:
  • 小时候，我爸爸教我骑车的。
  • Pinyin: Xiǎoshíhou, wǒ bàba jiāo wǒ qíchē de.
  • English: When I was little, my dad taught me how to ride a bike.
  • Analysis: The 是…的 (shì…de) pattern is used here (with 是 omitted) to emphasize the details of a past event—in this case, who taught the speaker.
• Example 4:
  • 我们周末去公园骑车吧！
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen zhōumò qù gōngyuán qíchē ba!
  • English: Let's go ride bikes in the park this weekend!
  • Analysis: A common suggestion using the 吧 (ba) particle. Note how the sentence structure is “go somewhere” + “do something.”
• Example 5:
  • 骑车是很好的锻炼。
  • Pinyin: Qíchē shì hěn hǎo de duànliàn.
  • English: Cycling is very good exercise.
  • Analysis: Here, 骑车 functions as a noun (a gerund), acting as the subject of the sentence.
• Example 6:
  • 他喜欢骑他的新摩托车。
  • Pinyin: Tā xǐhuān qí tā de xīn mótuōchē.
  • English: He likes to ride his new motorcycle.
  • Analysis: This example shows how the verb 骑 (qí) is used when a specific vehicle, 摩托车 (mótuōchē), is mentioned, splitting the two characters of 骑车.
• Example 7:
  • 外面在下雨，今天不能骑车了。
  • Pinyin: Wàimiàn zài xiàyǔ, jīntiān bù néng qíchē le.
  • English: It's raining outside, so we can't go for a bike ride today.
  • Analysis: The particle 了 (le) at the end indicates a change of state or situation.
• Example 8:
  • 从我家到地铁站，骑车只要五分钟。
  • Pinyin: Cóng wǒ jiā dào dìtiě zhàn, qíchē zhǐ yào wǔ fēnzhōng.
  • English: From my house to the subway station, it only takes five minutes by bike.
  • Analysis: This sentence demonstrates using 骑车 to describe travel time and convenience.
• Example 9:
  • 在中国，骑电动车比骑自行车更普遍。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, qí diàndòngchē bǐ qí zìxíngchē gèng pǔbiàn.
  • English: In China, riding e-bikes is more common than riding bicycles.
  • Analysis: This uses the 比 (bǐ) comparison structure to talk about different types of vehicles you can 骑 (qí).
• Example 10:
  • 骑车的时候一定要注意安全。
  • Pinyin: Qíchē de shíhou yídìng yào zhùyì ānquán.
  • English: You must pay attention to safety when you're riding a bike.
  • Analysis: …的时候 (…de shíhou) is a key grammar pattern meaning “when…” This is a very practical and common piece of advice.

The most significant pitfall for English speakers is confusing 骑 (qí) with 坐 (zuò). This is a “false friend” situation because English uses “ride” for both buses and bikes.

• 骑 (qí): Use for vehicles you STRADDLE.
  • Correct: 我骑自行车。(Wǒ qí zìxíngchē.) - I ride a bicycle.
  • Correct: 我骑马。(Wǒ qí mǎ.) - I ride a horse.
• 坐 (zuò): Use for vehicles you SIT IN or ON (like a bench).
  • Correct: 我坐公共汽车。(Wǒ zuò gōnggòng qìchē.) - I ride the bus.
  • Correct: 我坐火车。(Wǒ zuò huǒchē.) - I ride the train.
  • Correct: 我坐飞机。(Wǒ zuò fēijī.) - I fly/ride on a plane.

Common Mistake Example:

• Incorrect: 我 骑 出租车去机场。(Wǒ qí chūzūchē qù jīchǎng.)
• Why it's wrong: You sit inside a taxi; you don't straddle it like a horse.
• Correct: 我 坐 出租车去机场。(Wǒ zuò chūzūchē qù jīchǎng.) - I'm taking a taxi to the airport.

• 自行车 (zìxíngchē) - Bicycle. The most common object of the verb 骑 (qí).
• 坐 (zuò) - To sit; to take a vehicle (bus, car, train). The counterpart to 骑 for transportation.
• 开车 (kāichē) - To drive a car.
• 电动车 (diàndòngchē) - Electric scooter/e-bike. An increasingly common vehicle to 骑.
• 摩托车 (mótuōchē) - Motorcycle.
• 共享单车 (gòngxiǎng dānchē) - Shared bike. A central concept in modern Chinese urban life.
• 骑马 (qímǎ) - To ride a horse. The original meaning of the character 骑.
• 走路 (zǒulù) - To walk. Another basic form of transport.
• 上车 (shàngchē) / 下车 (xiàchē) - To get on / get off a vehicle. Used for both 骑 and 坐 vehicles.