About
The character "辆" functions today exclusively as a measure word for wheeled vehicles, a specific grammatical role that developed from its original meaning. Its traditional form, "輛", is composed of the radical for "cart" or "vehicle" (車) on the left, directly indicating its semantic field, paired with the character "兩" on the right, which means "a pair" or "two", serving as a phonetic component but also hinting at its etymological origin. This structure points to its initial use in classical Chinese, where it was not a measure word itself but a noun referring to the pair of wheels on a chariot or cart, or by extension, the vehicle as a unit defined by its two wheels. Over time, this concrete noun evolved into a classifier, shedding its nominal meaning to become the standard counter for vehicles, a shift that emphasized the whole vehicle rather than its constituent parts. The simplified form "辆" retains the vehicle radical but replaces the complex "兩" with the simpler "两", maintaining the phonetic clue while streamlining the character's structure.
Example Sentences Hide
这辆车很新。
我家有一辆自行车。
那辆公交车人很多。
他刚买了一辆电动车。
停车场里停着几十辆车。
这辆红色的跑车是他的。
请您把那辆卡车开到仓库门口。
由于发生事故，那辆货车的零件需要更换。