gung1 gaau1 ce1公交車公交车
Jyutpinggung1 gaau1 ce1
Yalegūng gāau chē
Definition
Bus; public transit bus.
colloquialtransport
How it's used
Although 公交車 is understood in Hong Kong, it is a loanword from Mainland Chinese terminology. Locals almost exclusively use 巴士 for public buses. Using 公交車 might make you sound like a visitor or someone who has spent significant time in the Mainland.
Measure word
gaa3架gaExamples
Do you know which bus goes to Tsim Sha Tsui?
I took the bus to work today, it was very jammed.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 公交車 in daily conversation as it sounds unnatural to native Hong Kongers. Stick to 巴士 to avoid confusion and sounding like you are speaking Mandarin.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
