火车站
train station
HSK level
- Pinyin
- huǒchēzhàn
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 2
- Strokes
- 18
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 个 / 座
Stroke order for 火车站
火车站 is written with 18 strokes (火: 4, 车: 4, 站: 10). The animation replays automatically.
What does 火车站 mean?
火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) is the standard Chinese word for 'train station,' literally 'fire-vehicle-station.'
The 'fire' element is a leftover from the steam-engine era — modern trains run on electricity, but the name stuck, just like English keeps 'railroad.' Big Chinese cities have multiple stations named by direction (北京站 Beijing Station, 北京西站 Beijing West Station, 北京南站 Beijing South), so when speaking with a taxi driver you usually need to specify which one.
With the rise of high-speed rail, you'll also hear 高铁站 (gāotiězhàn, 'high-speed rail station') for stations dedicated to or branded around the Gaotie network — but in everyday talk, 火车站 still covers the general concept. Subway stops are 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn), bus stops are 公交站 / 公共汽车站 — different word, same 站 ('stop / station') ending.
Note: Standard everyday word. For high-speed rail (Gaotie), people often say 高铁站 (gāotiězhàn); 火车站 covers both regular and high-speed in casual use.
Character by character
Memory hook: 火车 (fire-vehicle = train) + 站 (stop) = the place where the train stops. The 'fire' is a fossil from the steam age.
Example sentences
请问，火车站在哪儿？
Qǐng wèn, huǒchēzhàn zài nǎr?
Excuse me, where is the train station?
polite
我明天早上去火车站。
Wǒ míngtiān zǎoshang qù huǒchēzhàn.
I'm going to the train station tomorrow morning.
neutral
从这儿到火车站有多远？
Cóng zhèr dào huǒchēzhàn yǒu duō yuǎn?
How far is it from here to the train station?
spoken
我们在北京火车站见面吧。
Wǒmen zài Běijīng huǒchēzhàn jiànmiàn ba.
Let's meet at Beijing Railway Station.
spoken
火车站离我家不远。
Huǒchēzhàn lí wǒ jiā bù yuǎn.
The train station isn't far from my home.
neutral
Common phrases with 火车站
Synonyms
高铁站 is specifically a high-speed rail station. Use it when emphasizing the Gaotie service (faster, newer, often a separate station from the regular 火车站).
车站 is the general 'station / stop' — could be a bus stop OR a train station depending on context. 火车站 is unambiguously a train station.
Don't confuse 火车站 with
汽车站 is a long-distance bus station (intercity coaches). 火车站 is for trains. Different stations, often in different parts of the city.
地铁站 is a subway/metro station. 火车站 is for above-ground long-distance trains. Locals know which is which; tourists sometimes mix them up.
FAQ
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