火車

“train”

Coined circa 1840 by Christian missionaries in China, in reference to the steam engines that early trains had. Perhaps short for an earlier form 火輪車／火轮车 (huǒlúnchē).

火車

1. train (Classifier: 列 m; 架 c; 節／节 m; 班 m c; 趟 m)

   城際火車／城际火车  ―  chéngjì huǒchē  ―  intercity train

   他差點沒趕上火車。 [MSC, trad.]
   他差点没赶上火车。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā chàdiǎn méi gǎnshàng huǒchē. [Pinyin]

   He nearly missed the train.

   我坐火車去上海。／我坐火车去上海。  ―  Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù Shànghǎi.  ―  I am going to Shanghai by train.

   火車三點開，你現在去還來得及。 [MSC, trad.]
   火车三点开，你现在去还来得及。 [MSC, simp.]

   Huǒchē sān diǎn kāi, nǐ xiànzài qù hái láidejí. [Pinyin]

   The train leaves at three. You can still make it if you go now.

2. (historical) combat chariot carrying equipment for attack by fire
3. (Buddhism) fiery chariot that sends a sinner to hell

• 火車／火车 refers to the train itself and to the mode of transportation. So it is used in terms related to the railway. 列車／列车 (lièchē) is sometimes used instead to follow technology development as trains are not steam powered anymore. But the term only refers to the train itself and cannot replace 火車／火车 in the previous term.
• Sometimes high-speed trains (高鐵／高铁) are excluded when referring 火車／火车 only.

• (train):

• (train): 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù)

Others:

• → Bouyei: hojcey
• → Malay: kereta api (calque)
  • Indonesian: kereta api
• → Mongolian: галт тэрэг (galt tereg) (calque)
• → Thai: รถไฟ (rót-fai) (calque)
• → Tibetan: མེ་འཁོར (me 'khor) (calque)
• → Zhuang: hojceh, cifeiz (calque)
• → Vietnamese: xe lửa (calque)

• 地鐵／地铁 (dìtiě)
• 動車／动车 (dòngchē)
• 高鐵／高铁 (gāotiě)
• 列車／列车 (lièchē)
• 鐵路／铁路 (tiělù)

火車

1. (Hong Kong, colloquial, somewhat dated) East Rail line

• (Min Nan pronunciation audio) “Entry #1252”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

• (yōkai): 化車

/kua t͡ɕia/ → /kʷaɕʲa/ → /kaɕa/

From Middle Chinese compound 火車 (MC huɑ^X t͡ɕʰia).

The "steam locomotive" sense is a semantic loan from modern Chinese 火車／火车 (huǒchē).

• On’yomi
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɕa̠]

火(か)車(しゃ) • (kasha) ^{←くわしや (kwasya)?}

1. (Buddhism) a fiery chariot that brings sinners to hell; by extension, a form of torture using this vehicle

   Synonym: 火の車 (hi no kuruma)

2. a burning fire in the shape of a wheel
3. Short for 火車婆 (kasha-baba): a powerful, evil old hag
4. (folklore) a yōkai that steals the corpses of those who have died as a result of accumulating evil deeds
5. a steam locomotive; by extension, a train

   Synonym: 汽車 (kisha)

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

6. Alternative spelling of 花車 (kasha): a woman who manages and supervises prostitutes

• 火(か)車(しゃ)婆(ばば) (kasha-baba)

火車 • (hwacha) (hangeul 화차)

1. Hanja form^? of 화차 (“hwacha”).

火車

1. chữ Hán form of hỏa xa (“train”).