Densha is the Japanese word for ‘train’, explained

What does “densha” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “densha” to mean ‘train’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “densha” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “densha”
• What does “densha” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “trains” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “densha”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “densha”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “densha”.

• densha – 電車 (でんしゃ) : a noun meaning ‘train’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “densha” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “densha” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 電 : a kanji character often used to add the meaning of ‘electric’.
• 車 : a kanji character used to mean ‘car’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “densha” literally means ‘electric cars’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Trains can often be considered as cars driven by electricity.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “densha” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “densha” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “trains” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• imouto – 妹 (いもうと) : a noun meaning ‘little sister’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi no imouto” to make the subject in the sentence.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “densha” to make the object in the sentence.
• suki – 好き (すき) : the stem part of the na-adjective, “sukina”, which means ‘favorite’ in Japanese. Native speakers, however, often use this as an individual word to mean ‘to like’ or ‘to love’ in Japanese. In the example, this is used to mean ‘to love’.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “suki” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “densha”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “ga”, to become the object in the sentence.

Example #2: another usage of “densha”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “densha” to make the object in the sentence.
• mat – 待っ (まっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “matsu“, which means ‘to wait’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “mat” to make its past tense form, “mat ta”.

This is another typical usage of “densha”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence. When we want to mean a ‘train’ or ‘trains’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “densha” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• densha – 電車 (でんしゃ) : a noun meaning ‘train’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘electric cars’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Trains can often be considered as cars driven by electricity.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.