What does 'Mai' mean in driving?
2 Answers
"Mai" = mile, "Mai" is the Chinese phonetic translation of the English word mile. It is actually a unit of length, not a unit of speed. 1 Mai = 1.609344 kilometers. Introduction to miles: A mile is a unit of length equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards (1,609 meters), used in the United States and other English-speaking countries. To be precise, 1 Mai = 1.609 kilometers. In the U.S., vehicle speeds are calculated in mph, which stands for miles-per-hour, as opposed to kilometers per hour (kph) in China. 1 mph = 1.6 kph. Common units in China: The units on the speedometers of cars sold in China are all in kilometers per hour, but people generally refer to it as 'ma' or 'mai,' which actually means kilometers per hour. Most people think that 'mai,' 'ma,' and kilometers per hour are the same, but they are actually different.
I'm the type who really enjoys delving into the details of cars, and the term 'Mai' used when driving is actually quite an interesting topic. It originates from the English word 'mile,' meaning a unit of distance, but in China, we often say 'Mai' to refer to speed units, like 'driving 60 Mai' is roughly equivalent to 60 kilometers per hour, which isn't entirely accurate and can be confusing. I've looked it up, and it's related to historical transmission—older drivers picked up the habit from foreign practices when they were younger, and now it's become a common saying. In daily driving, my speedometer displays km/h, so I have to pay attention to the conversion to avoid speeding tickets. Especially on highways, driving at '120 Mai' actually means 120 km/h, which is much lower than the mile unit, so controlling speed is crucial for safety. When I changed cars, I even made sure to calibrate the speedometer to ensure the units matched, preventing accidents. In short, understanding these details clearly before hitting the road makes for a smoother drive.
