辆
MW for vehicles
liàng
What does 辆 mean?
辆 (liàng) is the standard Chinese measure word for wheeled vehicles — cars, buses, bikes, motorcycles, trucks, taxis, even tanks. Pattern: number + 辆 + vehicle noun. 一辆车 (yí liàng chē, 'one car'), 两辆自行车 (liǎng liàng zìxíngchē, 'two bicycles'), 三辆出租车 (sān liàng chūzūchē, 'three taxis'). The vehicle radical 车 (chē, 'cart / vehicle') is built right into the character, which is a useful clue.
Boats and ships do NOT use 辆 — they take 艘 (sōu) or 条 (tiáo); planes take 架 (jià); trains as a whole take 列 (liè), though individual train cars take 节 (jié). For English speakers: Chinese requires a measure word between a number and a noun, so you cannot say 一车
Character breakdown
measure word for vehicles (vehicle radical 车 + 两 phonetic)
Memory hook: 辆 has 车 (vehicle) built right in — it can ONLY be used for things with wheels.
Example sentences
他买了一辆新车。
Tā mǎi le yí liàng xīn chē.
He bought a new car.
neutral
我家有两辆自行车。
Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng liàng zìxíngchē.
My family has two bicycles.
spoken
这辆出租车是红色的。
Zhè liàng chūzūchē shì hóngsè de.
This taxi is red.
neutral
路上有很多辆车。
Lù shàng yǒu hěn duō liàng chē.
There are many cars on the road.
neutral
Common phrases with 辆
Don't confuse 辆 with
两 is the number 'two' used with measure words: 两辆车 ('two cars'). 辆 is the measure word itself. They look similar and often appear back-to-back — that's why beginners blur them.
FAQ
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