面的

麵的

miàndī

noun #17,197

Measure Word

一辆面的 liàng

Meanings

1 minivan taxi
2 bread-loaf taxi

Characters

short for 面包车 (minivan)

short for 的士 (taxi)

Abbreviation of 面包车的士 (minivan taxi). The 的 is pronounced dī here, from the Cantonese-derived 的士 (taxi).

Examples

以前北京满大街都是黄色的面的。

Yǐqián Běijīng mǎn dàjiē dōu shì huángsè de miàndī.

Beijing streets used to be full of yellow minivan taxis.

面的比普通出租车便宜。

Miàndī bǐ pǔtōng chūzūchē piányi.

Minivan taxis are cheaper than regular taxis.

Tips

history

面的 were ubiquitous in Chinese cities in the 1990s — cheap yellow minivans used as taxis. They were phased out in Beijing around 1999 for safety and image reasons. The word is now mostly nostalgic.

Stroke Order

面 miàn

的 de