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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "engine" in Chinese?
发动机
fā dòng jī
In Chinese, "engine" is 发动机 (fā dòng jī).
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Pronunciation
This word sounds like "fā dòng jī" — "fā" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1); "dòng" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), and finally "jī" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Writing and usage
发动机 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
发动机轰鸣着，他发动了汽车。
fā dòng jī hōng míng zhe ， tā fā dòng le qì chē 。
The engine roared as he started the car.
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How to remember 发动机
Notice how "fā dòng jī" rolls off the tongue, and tie that feeling to a quick mental picture of "发动机" (fā dòng jī).
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 发动机
How do you pronounce 发动机?
This word sounds like "fā dòng jī" — "fā" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1); "dòng" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), and finally "jī" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Is 发动机 formal or casual?
发动机 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 发动机 used in Chinese?
发动机 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 发动机轰鸣着，他发动了汽车。 (The engine roared as he started the car.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Engine" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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