自動車（じどうしゃ、jidousha）
- car

The Japanese word 自動車 （じどうしゃ, *jidousha*) means "automobile," "car," or "motor vehicle." It refers to any self-propelled vehicle that runs on land, typically with four wheels, and is used for transporting people or goods. 自動車 is a general term and covers a wide range of vehicles, from small passenger cars to larger trucks and buses.

⚫︎父は新しい自動車を買いました。 Translation: My father bought a new car. ⚫︎あの自動車はとても速いです。 Translation: That car is very fast. ⚫︎自動車事故に遭いました。 Translation: I was in a car accident.

You can use 自動車 in most situations when referring to cars or vehicles. It’s a common and versatile word. It’s appropriate in both formal and informal conversations. You can use it to describe owning a car, driving a car, or talking about cars in general.

自動車 is primarily written in kanji and hiragana: 自動車. * Kanji: 自 (ji - self, auto) 動 (dou - movement, to move) 車 (sha - vehicle, wheel) * Hiragana: じどうしゃ (jidousha) While the kanji are the standard, the hiragana pronunciation is always included for clarity. There are no other common ways to write this word or variations in okurigana.

There are some related terms, although they are not perfect synonyms: * 車 (*kuruma*): This is a more general term for "car" or "vehicle." It's less specific than 自動車 and can also refer to things like bicycles or carts depending on context. * 自家用車 (*jika you sha*): "Privately owned car"

There aren’t direct antonyms, but you could consider other forms of transportation that aren't 自動車, such as: * 電車 (*densha*): train * 飛行機 (*hikouki*): airplane * 自転車 (*jitensha*): bicycle * 徒歩 (*toho*): walking

私は新しい自動車を買うために貯金しています。 ・Translation: I am saving money to buy a new car. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of saving money for the purpose of purchasing a 自動車.

その自動車はガソリンではなく電気で動いています。 ・Translation: That car runs on electricity, not gasoline. ・Explanation: This sentence provides information about the power source of a 自動車, highlighting the distinction between electric and gasoline-powered vehicles.

The word 自動車 is a compound word: * 自 (ji): "self" or "auto" * 動 (dou): "movement" or "to move" * 車 (sha): "vehicle" or "wheel" Therefore, 自動車 literally means "self-moving vehicle." This perfectly describes the function of an automobile.