货运 (huò yùn) literally combines 货 (huò), meaning 'goods' or 'cargo', and 运 (yùn), meaning 'to transport' or 'to carry'. Together, they form a compound noun meaning 'freight transport' — the movement of goods by road, rail, sea, or air. It is commonly used in logistics, trade, and transportation contexts, often appearing in formal or business language rather than casual speech.

This term emphasizes the commercial aspect of moving physical items, distinguishing it from passenger transport (客运). It frequently appears in phrases like 货运公司 (freight company), 货运量 (freight volume), and 国际货运 (international freight transport). While the characters individually have broader meanings, their combination here is highly specialized and almost always refers to organized, large-scale cargo movement — not personal package delivery (which more often uses 快递 or 邮寄).