辆 (liàng) — For Vehicles
Cars, bikes, buses, and anything on wheels
Category: Measure Words
The Rule
辆 (liàng) is used for wheeled vehicles: cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, and carts.
Why This Matters
The character 辆 contains the radical 车 (chē, vehicle), which is a helpful visual reminder. Any land vehicle with wheels uses 辆. This is one of the most straightforward measure words — if it has wheels and moves on land, it's 辆. Boats use 艘 (sōu) and planes use 架 (jià).
Examples
• 一辆车 (yí liàng chē) — "a car" [The most basic vehicle measure word usage] • 一辆自行车 (yí liàng zìxíngchē) — "a bicycle" [Even non-motorized wheeled vehicles use 辆] • 两辆公共汽车 (liǎng liàng gōnggòng qìchē) — "two buses" [Large vehicles also use 辆] • 那辆出租车 (nà liàng chūzūchē) — "that taxi" [辆 with demonstrative 那]
Common Mistakes
❌ 一个车 (yí gè chē) ✅ 一辆车 (yí liàng chē) → While 个 is understood, 辆 is strongly preferred for vehicles. It's one of the most commonly known specific measure words. ❌ Using 辆 for boats or planes ✅ 一艘船 (yì sōu chuán) for boats, 一架飞机 (yí jià fēijī) for planes → 辆 is strictly for wheeled land vehicles. Watercraft use 艘 and aircraft use 架.
Quick Tip
Wheels on the ground = 辆. No exceptions for land vehicles. Remember: 辆 has 车 (vehicle) built right into the character.
Wheels on the ground = 辆. No exceptions for land vehicles. Remember: 辆 has 车 (vehicle) built right into the character.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 一个车 (yí gè chē) → Correct: 一辆车 (yí liàng chē). While 个 is understood, 辆 is strongly preferred for vehicles. It's one of the most commonly known specific measure words.
Incorrect: Using 辆 for boats or planes → Correct: 一艘船 (yì sōu chuán) for boats, 一架飞机 (yí jià fēijī) for planes. 辆 is strictly for wheeled land vehicles. Watercraft use 艘 and aircraft use 架.
Quiz
Which measure word is used for 'a bicycle'?