廃車（はいしゃ、haisha）
- scrapped car

The Japanese word 廃車 (はいしゃ, haisha) refers to a vehicle, typically a car, that is no longer usable or considered suitable for road use. This can be due to various reasons, including significant damage from an accident, mechanical failure, or simply being too old and costly to repair. The vehicle is often removed from the road and either scrapped or dismantled for parts. The word implies the vehicle is at the end of its operational life.

⚫︎事故で車が廃車になった。 Translation: My car was totaled in an accident. ⚫︎古い車なので、そろそろ廃車にする必要がある。 Translation: Since it's an old car, it's about time to scrap it. ⚫︎廃車手続きは複雑だ。 Translation: The procedure for scrapping a car is complex.

This word is used in conversations and written contexts when discussing vehicles that are no longer operational. It's used in official documents, news reports, conversations about accidents, and general discussions about cars. You would use it when talking about a car that is beyond repair or has been officially taken off the road.

⚫︎The word is primarily written in kanji 廃車. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is はいしゃ. ⚫︎There is no variation in okurigana. ⚫︎It is never written in Katakana.

⚫︎スクラップ (sukurappu) - Scrap (refers to the vehicle after it has been taken apart) ⚫︎廃車にする (haisha ni suru) - To scrap a car (verb form) ⚫︎事故車 (jikosha) - Accident car

There are no direct antonyms, but you could consider the opposite to be a "new" or "repaired" car.

その車はひどい事故にあい、廃車となりました。 ・Translation: That car was in a serious accident and was totaled. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a car that has been rendered unusable due to an accident, leading to its being 廃車d.

修理費用が高すぎるため、その車は廃車にすることにした。 ・Translation: We decided to scrap that car because the repair costs were too high. ・Explanation: The sentence highlights the reason for scrapping the car - high repair costs.

⚫︎廃 (hai) means "discarded," "abolished," or "abandoned." ⚫︎車 (sha) means "car" or "vehicle." ⚫︎Therefore, the word 廃車 literally translates to "discarded vehicle" or "abandoned vehicle," accurately representing its meaning.