gōng lù
highway; highroad
我沿着公路走到了公园。
wǒ yánzhe gōnglù zǒudào le gōngyuán.
I walked along the road to the park.
公路两旁种满了树木。
gōnglù liǎng páng zhòngmǎnle shùmù.
Trees are planted on both sides of the road.
这条公路很宽，可以并排开四辆车。
zhè tiáo gōnglù hěn kuǎn, kěyǐ bìngpái kāi sì liàng chē.
This road is very wide, and four cars can drive side by side.
马路 (mǎlù)
road
大道 (dàdào)
highway
乡间小路 (xiāng jiān xiǎo lù)
country road
小路 (xiǎo lù)
path
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The Chinese word 公路 (gōnglù) for "highway" is a compound of two characters: 公 (gōng) meaning "public" and 路 (lù) meaning "road". The term 公路 was first used in the late 19th century to refer to roads built and maintained by the government for public use. Prior to this, roads in China were typically constructed and managed by local communities or private individuals. The introduction of 公路 marked a significant shift in the development of China's transportation infrastructure, as it allowed for the construction of more efficient and reliable roads that could connect different parts of the country. Today, 公路 remains the most common term used to refer to highways in China.
