机 jī — machine; opportunity; secret
我的手机没电了。Wǒ de shǒu jī méi diàn le.My cellphone is out of battery.
Common words: 手机 (shǒu jī)、飞机 (fēi jī)、机场 (jī chǎng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "machine"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "machine", including 机 (jī), 车 (chē / jū). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "machine" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 机 (jī), 车 (chē / jū) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jī, chē, jū — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 机 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 机 jīmachine; opportunity; secretUseful words: 手机, 飞机
- 车 chē / jūcar; a vehicle; machine; to shape with a lathe; vehicle on landUseful words: 汽车, 开车
Common words for these 2 "machine" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 机 (jī) — so "machine" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
手机shǒu jīcell phone; mobile phone飞机fēi jīairplane机场jī chǎngairport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circumventing Internet censorship汽车qì chēcar; automobile; bus开车kāi chēto drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online; to make a sexual joke出租车chū zū chētaxi; (Tw) rental car
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "machine".
车 chē / jū — car; a vehicle; machine; to shape with a lathe; vehicle on land
上下班的时候车很多。Shàng xià bān de shí hou chē hěn duō.There are many cars during commuting hours.
Common words: 汽车 (qì chē)、开车 (kāi chē)、出租车 (chū zū chē)
All 2 characters
Open 机、车 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.