====== hángbān: 航班 - Scheduled Flight, Flight Number ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** 航班, hángbān, Chinese for flight, scheduled flight, flight number, airport Chinese, travel vocabulary, book a flight in Chinese, what flight are you on Chinese, China travel, flight delay Chinese.
  * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese travel word **航班 (hángbān)**, which means "scheduled flight" or "flight number." This page will teach you how to use **航班** at the airport, when booking tickets, and in everyday conversation. Discover the difference between **航班 (hángbān)** and a plane (**飞机 fēijī**), and master practical example sentences for everything from checking flight delays to asking for a flight number. This is your complete guide to talking about flights in Mandarin Chinese.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** hángbān
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 3
  * **Concise Definition:** A scheduled flight, referring to the service or route, not the physical aircraft.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **航班 (hángbān)** is the word you see on your ticket and on the departure board at the airport. It doesn't mean "airplane" (that's [[飞机]] fēijī). Instead, it refers to the scheduled service itself—the specific, numbered, and timed journey you book. Think of it like a bus route number, but for a plane. If your friend asks "What flight are you on?", they are asking for your **航班**.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **航 (háng):** This character means "to navigate," "to sail," or "to fly." It's made up of the radical **舟 (zhōu)**, which means "boat," and a phonetic component. Originally related to water travel, its meaning has expanded to include air and space travel.
  * **班 (bān):** This character means "class," "team," "shift," or a scheduled run of a vehicle (like a bus or train). It conveys the idea of a group or a regularly scheduled event.
  * **Combined Meaning:** When you combine **航 (navigation/voyage)** and **班 (scheduled run)**, you get **航班 (hángbān)**—a "scheduled voyage," which in modern context almost always means a scheduled flight.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **The Term of a Modern, Mobile China:** While **航班 (hángbān)** itself is not a deeply philosophical term, its widespread use is a direct reflection of modern China's incredible growth in domestic and international travel. The precision of the word—distinguishing the service from the vehicle—mirrors the systematic and large-scale organization of China's transportation infrastructure, from massive international airports to the world's largest high-speed rail network.
  * **Comparison to "Flight" in English:** In English, "flight" is a flexible word. You can say, "I'm booking a flight," "The flight was bumpy," or "My flight is UA857." In Chinese, these concepts use different words.
    *   **Booking a flight:** You book a **航班 (hángbān)**.
    *   **The flight experience:** You would describe the **飞行 (fēixíng - the act of flying)** or **旅途 (lǚtú - the journey)**.
    *   **The flight number:** You are on **航班 (hángbān)** UA857.
  * This precision makes **航班 (hángbān)** a very practical and unambiguous term, crucial for navigating the busy and highly organized world of Chinese travel.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **At the Airport:** This is where you will see and use **航班 (hángbān)** most. It's on departure/arrival boards (**航班信息显示屏**), on your boarding pass (**登机牌**), and used by airline staff.
    *   Example: “请问，CA1832航班在哪个登机口？” (Excuse me, which gate is flight CA1832 at?)
  * **Booking Travel:** When you book a ticket online or with an agent, you are selecting a **航班 (hángbān)**.
    *   Example: “我想订一个去北京的直飞航班。” (I'd like to book a direct flight to Beijing.)
  * **Everyday Conversation:** When discussing travel plans with friends, colleagues, or family.
    *   Example: “你的航班是几点的？” (What time is your flight?)
  * **Formality:** The term is neutral and can be used in any context, from formal announcements to casual text messages. It is the standard, correct term.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 我们的**航班**延误了。
    * Pinyin: Wǒmen de **hángbān** yánwù le.
    * English: Our flight is delayed.
    * Analysis: A very common and useful sentence at the airport. **延误 (yánwù)** means "to delay."
  * **Example 2:**
    * 请问您的**航班**号是多少？
    * Pinyin: Qǐngwèn nín de **hángbānhào** shì duōshǎo?
    * English: Excuse me, what is your flight number?
    * Analysis: **航班号 (hángbānhào)** is even more specific, meaning "flight number." This is a polite phrase you'd hear from airline staff.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 我需要预订明天去上海的**航班**。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào yùdìng míngtiān qù Shànghǎi de **hángbān**.
    * English: I need to book a flight to Shanghai for tomorrow.
    * Analysis: **预订 (yùdìng)** means "to reserve" or "to book." This is a key phrase for making travel arrangements.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 这是飞往纽约的最后一个**航班**。
    * Pinyin: Zhè shì fēiwǎng Niǔyuē de zuìhòu yí ge **hángbān**.
    * English: This is the last flight to New York.
    * Analysis: Shows how **航班** is used with a measure word, **个 (ge)**, and a destination. **飞往 (fēiwǎng)** means "to fly towards."
  * **Example 5:**
    * 他的**航班**什么时候到？
    * Pinyin: Tā de **hángbān** shénme shíhou dào?
    * English: When does his flight arrive?
    * Analysis: A simple and practical question for picking someone up from the airport. **到 (dào)** means "to arrive."
  * **Example 6:**
    * 由于天气原因，所有**航班**都被取消了。
    * Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, suǒyǒu **hángbān** dōu bèi qǔxiāo le.
    * English: Due to weather reasons, all flights have been canceled.
    * Analysis: This sentence uses the passive voice with **被 (bèi)**. **取消 (qǔxiāo)** means "to cancel."
  * **Example 7:**
    * 这个**航班**是国航的。
    * Pinyin: Zhè ge **hángbān** shì Guóháng de.
    * English: This flight is an Air China flight.
    * Analysis: **国航 (Guóháng)** is the common abbreviation for **中国国际航空公司 (Zhōngguó Guójì Hángkōng Gōngsī)**, or Air China. You can substitute other airline names here.
  * **Example 8:**
    * 我在网上查了一下**航班**信息。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ zài wǎngshàng chá le yíxià **hángbān** xìnxī.
    * English: I checked the flight information online.
    * Analysis: **查 (chá)** means "to check" and **信息 (xìnxī)** means "information." A very modern and common activity.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 你最好提前两个小时到机场，以免错过**航班**。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ zuìhǎo tíqián liǎng ge xiǎoshí dào jīchǎng, yǐmiǎn cuòguò **hángbān**.
    * English: You had better get to the airport two hours early to avoid missing the flight.
    * Analysis: **错过 (cuòguò)** is a key verb meaning "to miss" an opportunity or a scheduled event like a flight.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 我的**航班**是CZ3101，从北京飞往广州。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ de **hángbān** shì CZ sān yāo líng yāo, cóng Běijīng fēiwǎng Guǎngzhōu.
    * English: My flight is CZ3101, from Beijing to Guangzhou.
    * Analysis: Note that flight numbers are often read out digit by digit, and "one" is often read as **yāo** instead of **yī** to avoid confusion.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **`航班 (hángbān)` vs. `飞机 (fēijī)` - The #1 Mistake:**
    * **航班 (hángbān)** is the scheduled service/route.
    * **飞机 (fēijī)** is the physical airplane.
    * You book a **航班**. You fly on a **飞机**.
    * **Correct:** 我的**航班**是下午三点。 (My flight is at 3 PM.)
    * **Incorrect:** 我的**飞机**很大。 (My airplane is big.) - //This is grammatically correct but means the physical plane is large, not that your scheduled flight is "big".//
    * **Incorrect:** 我的**航班**很大。 (My flight is big.) - //This is wrong. A scheduled service cannot have a physical size.//
  * **Describing the Journey:**
    * Do not use **航班** to describe the quality of the journey itself (e.g., smooth, bumpy, long). Use **飞行 (fēixíng)** for the act of flying or **旅途 (lǚtú)** for the journey.
    * **Correct:** 这次**飞行**很平稳。 (This flight //experience// was very smooth.)
    * **Incorrect:** 这个**航班**很平稳。 (This scheduled service was very smooth.) - //This sounds strange and illogical in Chinese.//
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[飞机]] (fēijī) - The airplane; the physical machine you fly in.
  * [[机场]] (jīchǎng) - The airport; where your flight departs from and arrives at.
  * [[机票]] (jīpiào) - The airplane ticket; the document that proves you booked a spot on the flight.
  * [[航班号]] (hángbānhào) - The flight number; the specific code for your flight (e.g., "CA981").
  * [[起飞]] (qǐfēi) - To take off.
  * [[降落]] (jiàngluò) - To land.
  * [[延误]] (yánwù) - To be delayed; often used to describe a **航班**.
  * [[登机口]] (dēngjīkǒu) - The boarding gate.
  * [[航空公司]] (hángkōng gōngsī) - The airline company (e.g., Air China, China Southern).
  * [[直飞]] (zhí fēi) - To fly direct; a direct flight. It can act as a verb or an adjective for **航班**.