Japanese kanji 車: car; vehicle

The idea

Kanji may have Japanese-origin and Chinese-origin readings; learn each with its word. Compare 車（くるま） and 電車（でんしゃ）. 車 has 7 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Examples

• 母ははは新あたらしい車くるまを買かいます。My mother buys a new car.
• 母ははは自転車じてんしゃで会社かいしゃに行いきます。My mother goes to work by bicycle.
• 会社かいしゃまで電車でんしゃで行いきます。I go to the office by train.
• 午前ごぜん九時くじに電車でんしゃが出でます。The train leaves at nine in the morning.
• 日本にほんの車くるまです。It is a Japanese car.
• 電車でんしゃで東京とうきょうに行いきます。I go to Tokyo by train.

Watch out

車 is くるま as a word; in 電車 it is read しゃ. Compare the shape of 車 with 東 so you do not confuse them.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 車 in hiragana.

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   くるま

   車 is read くるま; it means car; vehicle. Learn the reading as part of this word.

2. Write the reading of 電車 in hiragana.

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   でんしゃ

   電車 is read でんしゃ; it means electric train. Learn the reading as part of this word.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: 電＿（でんしゃ）.

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   車

   車 completes 電車, read でんしゃ; the word means electric train.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 車 from memory, and read 車 and 電車 aloud. Then check the readings and meanings.