客车 (kè chē) literally means 'guest vehicle' — 客 (kè) means 'guest' or 'passenger', and 车 (chē) means 'vehicle' or 'car'. Together, they refer specifically to a motor vehicle designed to carry passengers, especially in public or commercial transport contexts — such as city buses, intercity coaches, or airport shuttles. Unlike 私家车 (sījiāchē, 'private car') or 出租车 (chūzūchē, 'taxi'), 客车 emphasizes scheduled, group-based passenger transport.

This term is commonly used in official signage, transportation schedules, news reports, and daily conversation when referring to non-rail public transport. It does not include trains, subways, or airplanes — those have separate terms (e.g., 火车, 地铁, 飞机). In mainland China, 客车 also appears in vehicle classification systems: for example, license plates for passenger buses begin with the character 客. The word is neutral in register and appropriate in both formal and informal settings.