Cycling in Chinese 骑行
qíxíng
Cycling in Chinese is 骑行 (qí xíng).
Also searched for as: cycling in Chinese, bike ride, road cycling, riding a bike.
Helmet on: road bikes, hill climbs and punctures. 15 essential cycling words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The everyday way to say ride a bike in Chinese is 骑车 (qí chē), while 骑行 (qí xíng) is the word for cycling as a sport or hobby. Weekend rides out of the city are popular, so you'll hear riders comparing a 公路车 (gōng lù chē, road bike) with a 山地车 (shān dì chē, mountain bike) and moaning about every 爬坡 (pá pō, climb). These words cover the bike, the kit and the road.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 骑行 | qí xíng | cycling; to cycle |
| 骑车 | qí chē | to ride a bike |
| 公路车 | gōng lù chē | road bike |
| 山地车 | shān dì chē | mountain bike |
| 头盔 | tóu kuī | helmet |
| 骑行服 | qí xíng fú | cycling kit |
| 坐垫 | zuò diàn | saddle |
| 变速 | biàn sù | to change gear; gears |
| 爬坡 | pá pō | to climb (a hill) |
| 下坡 | xià pō | downhill |
| 刹车 | shā chē | brake; to brake |
| 爆胎 | bào tāi | to get a puncture; blowout |
| 打气 | dǎ qì | to pump up (tyres) |
| 车队 | chē duì | cycling group; team |
| 环湖 | huán hú | to ride around a lake |
Usage tips
- 骑 (qí) is the verb for anything you sit astride, so it's used for bikes, motorbikes and horses: 骑车 (qí chē), 骑马 (qí mǎ).
- 车 (chē) on its own can mean a bike or a car, so 骑车 (qí chē) makes it clear you mean cycling, while 开车 (kāi chē) means driving.
- 骑行 (qí xíng) sounds sporty and deliberate, used for long or scenic rides such as 环湖骑行 (huán hú qí xíng), a loop round a lake; for cycling to work, 骑车 is more natural.
Common mistakes
- Saying 开自行车 or 坐自行车 → you 骑 (qí) a bike: 骑自行车 (qí zì xíng chē); 坐 (zuò) would mean riding as a passenger.
- Translating 'puncture' as 破洞 (pò dòng, a hole) → a punctured tyre is 扎胎 (zhā tāi), and a blowout is 爆胎 (bào tāi).
Mini dialogue
- A周末去郊区骑行吗？Zhōu mò qù jiāo qū qí xíng ma?Want to go cycling out of town this weekend?
- B好啊，不过我只有山地车。Hǎo a, bù guò wǒ zhǐ yǒu shān dì chē.Sure, but I've only got a mountain bike.
- A没关系，路线有一段爬坡，山地车也行。Méi guān xi, lù xiàn yǒu yī duàn pá pō, shān dì chē yě xíng.No problem, the route has a climb, so a mountain bike will do.
- B那我得先给轮胎打气，再检查一下刹车。Nà wǒ děi xiān gěi lún tāi dǎ qì, zài jiǎn chá yī xià shā chē.Then I'd better pump up my tyres and check my brakes first.
- A对，还有别忘了戴头盔。Duì, hái yǒu bié wàng le dài tóu kuī.Yes, and don't forget your helmet.
Example sentences
- 周末我们去郊区骑行。We're going cycling out of town this weekend.
- 我每天骑车上班。I cycle to work every day.
- 他花一万块买了辆公路车。He spent ten thousand yuan on a road bike.
- 骑山地车上山很累。Riding a mountain bike uphill is exhausting.
- 骑车一定要戴头盔。Always wear a helmet when you cycle.
- 骑行服穿着有点儿紧。Cycling kit feels a bit tight.
- 这个坐垫太硬了。This saddle is too hard.
- 上坡前先变速。Change gear before the hill.
- 爬坡的时候我腿都软了。My legs turned to jelly on the climb.
- 下坡别骑太快。Don't go too fast downhill.
- 我的刹车有点儿不灵。My brakes aren't working very well.
- 骑到一半爆胎了。I got a puncture halfway round.
- 轮胎没气了，得打气。The tyre's flat, I need to pump it up.
- 我跟车队一起骑了一百公里。I rode 100 km with my cycling group.
- 周末去环湖骑一圈吧。Let's do a loop round the lake this weekend.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Cycling speaking island has 8 everyday questions about cycling to prepare your own answers to.