A wooden-framed loom or mechanical trigger.
Machine, device, engine; a chance or flexible opportunity. Wood (木) on a small stand (几) forms a working mechanism.
机
Common Usage & Traps
- 飞机 — airplane
- 坐飞机 — take a plane
- 上飞机 — get on a plane
- 下飞机 — get off a plane
- 飞机上 — on the plane
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我飞机去北京我坐飞机去北京Chinese needs 坐 before a vehicle when saying how you travel. Without it, the sentence sounds broken.
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我在飞机我在飞机上For being on a plane, add 上. 我在飞机 sounds unfinished, like saying 'I am plane'.
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我坐飞机北京我坐飞机去北京You still need 去 before the destination. The plane is not the destination.
Does 机 mean airplane?
No—机 means machine; 飞机 is literally 'flying machine'.
飞机 breaks into 飞 (fly) and 机 (machine). If 机 meant airplane, every word with 机 would be a plane. At HSK 1, treat 飞机 as one word, but knowing 机 means machine helps you see the logic.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 机 | 机 = machine | 机 = airplane |
| Word | 飞机 = airplane | 机 by itself as airplane |
| Word logic | 飞机 = fly + machine | 飞机 = fly + airplane |
Is 飞机 pronounced fēijī or fēijǐ?
fēijī—first tone. The 机 in 飞机 never becomes third tone.
机 is first tone jī. Many learners see the right side and guess third tone, but 机 is its own character. Say fēijī, not fēijǐ.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tone of 机 | jī (first tone) | jǐ (third tone) |
| Phrase | 飞机 fēijī | 飞机 fēijǐ |
| Reason | 机 is its own character | Guessing from shape |
Does 我坐飞机去北京 mean the same as 我去北京坐飞机?
No—first means fly to Beijing; second means go to Beijing to board a plane.
In Chinese, the transport phrase comes before the main action when it tells how you go. 我坐飞机去北京 = I go to Beijing by plane. 我去北京坐飞机 = I go to Beijing in order to take a plane. Word order changes who is flying where.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 坐飞机去北京 = fly to Beijing | 去北京坐飞机 = go to Beijing to fly |
| Focus | how you go | purpose of going |
| English | I fly to Beijing | I go to Beijing to catch a plane |
Appears in Stories 9 stories
This short story follows a simple shopping trip in Beijing. You will learn words for buying a phone in Chinese.
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在北京的一个商店，我买了一个 手机 。
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这是一个 苹果手机 。
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这个 手机 六千多块钱。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他让我先上车，坐 司机 后边。
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挂了电话他把 手机 扔在座椅上，长长吐了一口气。
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他 手机 又响了。
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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北京到上海有 飞机 ，也有火车。
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从北京到上海坐 飞机 ，不到两个小时，但是要坐火车，就要最少五个多小时。
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坐火车比坐 飞机 便宜得多，去 飞机场 也要花很多时间，所以，小商觉得坐火车比坐 飞机 好。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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我们坐的 飞机 很大，是五百人的大 飞机 。
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我们下 飞机 的时候是白天，但是天气有一点儿冷。
This humorous dialogue follows a man who spends all his savings on his girlfriend's Apple phone and a lucky number, leaving him broke. A fun read for HSK 3 learners.
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B：当然不是吃的苹果，是苹果 手机 ！
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天啊，买完 手机 ，换完新号，我的银行卡上只有一百块了！
This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!
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手机 在手中， 飞机 真会飞。
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
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高先明的 手机里 也没有钱。
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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手机 问好说早安！
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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晚上，我坐出租车去大学那边的苹果商店买 手机 。
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