Meaning of 司机
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- chauffeur; driver
How to use 司机
司机 is the everyday word for any driver, such as a taxi, bus, or private driver. People often add the vehicle in front, as in 出租车司机 (chūzūchē sījī, taxi driver). Example: 司机，请在这里停车。 (Sījī, qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíngchē.) Driver, please stop here.
司 (sī) means to be in charge of, and 机 (jī) means machine, the same 机 you see in 飞机 (fēijī) and 手机 (shǒujī). A 司机 is the person in charge of the machine, the one who drives it.
Common mistake: Learners often write 司 backwards or confuse it with 同 (tóng). In 司 the inner part sits against the left side and the outer frame opens on the left. Also keep both syllables in the first tone, sījī, and do not drop the second one to a neutral tone.
司机 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
司 sī · to take charge of · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
机 jī · desk · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 司机.
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company; firm; corporation |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) |
Questions about 司机
What does 司机 mean?
司机 (sījī) means "chauffeur; driver" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 司机?
司机 is made of 2 characters: 司 (5 strokes), 机 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 司机 an HSK word?
Yes. 司机 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 司机 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 司机 is written 司機.
Is it polite to call a driver 司机 directly?
Yes. In mainland China it is normal to address a taxi or bus driver as 司机 or 师傅 (shīfu). 师傅 sounds a little warmer and more respectful.
What is the verb for driving a car?
司机 is only a noun. To say "drive" use 开车 (kāichē), for example 我会开车 (wǒ huì kāichē), I can drive.