驾

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to harness; to draw (a cart etc); to drive; to pilot; to sail; to ride; your good self; prefixed word denoting respect (polite 敬辭|敬辞[jing4 ci2])

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

马 meaning “horse” + 加 sound ( jiā )

Components 加马

drive · Heisig RSH #2902

加 add + 马 horse

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
三驾马车	sān jià mǎ chē	troika; (fig.) three driving forces; three-person leadership structure
酒后驾车	jiǔ hòu jià chē	driving under the influence
自驾车	zì jià chē	to drive oneself somewhere; private vehicle; (Tw) self-driving car; autonomous car
大驾光临	dà jià guāng lín	we are honored by your presence
自驾游	zì jià yóu	to go on a self-drive tour; to go on a road trip
大驾	dà jià	imperial chariot; (fig.) emperor; (polite) you
自驾	zì jià	to drive oneself somewhere
驾机	jià jī	to fly an airplane
车驾	chē jià	the emperor's carriage; (metonym) the emperor
驾车	jià chē	to drive a vehicle
保驾护航	bǎo jià hù háng	(idiom) to safeguard (sth); to protect (sth)
教宗座驾	jiào zōng zuò jià	popemobile
代驾	dài jià	to drive a vehicle for its owner (often as a paid service for sb who has consumed alcohol)…
饮酒驾车	yǐn jiǔ jià chē	drink and drive (moderately high blood alcohol concentration)
保驾	bǎo jià	(in former times) to escort the emperor (or other important personage); (nowadays) to esco…
见驾	jiàn jià	to have an audience (with the emperor)
醉酒驾车	zuì jiǔ jià chē	drunk driving (very high blood alcohol concentration)
酒驾	jiǔ jià	driving while intoxicated; DWI; to drink and drive
当驾	dāng jià	imperial driver
毒驾	dú jià	to drive under the influence of drugs

Characters sharing the sound component 加 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
加 sound part	jiā	to add to, to increase, to augment
架	jià	frame, rack, stand; to prop up
嘉	jiā	excellent; joyful; auspicious
咖	kā	coffee; used in transliterations
伽	jiā	temple; used to transliterations
茄	qié	eggplant
迦	jiā	used in transliterations
痂	jiā	scab
枷	jiā	the stocks, a cangue scaffold
瘸	qué	lameness; paralysis of the hands or legs
跏	jiā	to squat, to sit cross-legged
袈	jiā	Buddhist cassock
笳	jiā	reed whistle