車

• Reading: くるま
• Romaji: kuruma
• Kanji breakdown: 車 (sha/kuruma) — car, wheel, vehicle
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ɾɯ.ma/

Meaning

Car; automobile. One of the most essential transport-related nouns in everyday Japanese.

A noun referring to any wheeled vehicle, though in modern usage it most commonly means a car or automobile. In older or literary contexts, 車 can also refer to a cart or carriage. It combines with other words to form compounds like 自動車 (jidousha, motor vehicle) and 自転車 (jitensha, bicycle).

Examples

1. 父は毎日車で会社に行きます。 My father goes to work by car every day.
2. 新しい車を買いたいです。 I want to buy a new car.
3. 車の中に傘を忘れました。 I left my umbrella in the car.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, commuting, travel

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 車 depicts a wheel viewed from above, representing a wheeled vehicle.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal