Is 公車 really only used in Taiwan?

[Christa]

Is 公車 really only used in Taiwan?

 

I've read in some places that mainlanders don't use it and prefer 公共汽車 but surely they shorten it to 公車 as well. Don't they?

[imron]

35 minutes ago, Christa said:

but surely they shorten it to 公車 as well. Don't they?

They generally say 公交车.

[abcdefg]

Agree with Imron. 公交车 has been my experience too. I've never, ever heard 公车 here on the mainland. 

[Christa]

Interesting, yes, I have also heard 公交车 in the mainland now I think about it but I never heard 公共汽車 although I read that this long form was used in the mainland rather than 公車.

[你的中文老师]

Some people may also say 公共汽车，that's pretty common too. but most people would just simply say 公交车。

[abcdefg]

I think the longer form, 公共汽车, is mainly newscaster language. 

[yueni]

The short form that is used in the Mainland in my experience is 公交 instead of 公车.

 

E.g. 我坐公交上班。

[Publius]

3 hours ago, abcdefg said:

I think the longer form, 公共汽车, is mainly newscaster language.

It's also an outdated slang term for promiscuous woman, similar to "village bicycle".

 

In mainland 公車 mainly exists in the phrase 公車私用, in which 公車 means 公家的車、公務用車.