1.
passenger car, automobile
A motor vehicle designed primarily for carrying passengers, as opposed to trucks, buses, or commercial vehicles. This is the formal/official term for a regular car.
乗用車が一台停まっている。
A passenger car is parked there.
乗用車とトラックが衝突した。
A passenger car and a truck collided.
この駐車場は乗用車専用で、バスは入れません。
This parking lot is for passenger cars only; buses cannot enter.
Composed of 乗用 (for riding) + 車 (vehicle). The formal/official term for a passenger car.
REGISTER:
Used in news reports, traffic regulations, legal documents, and official statistics. In casual speech, 車 is the standard word for "car."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 乗用車専用: for passenger cars only
- 普通乗用車: standard passenger car
- 小型乗用車: compact car
- 乗用車同士の事故: accident between passenger cars
CONTRAST WITH OTHER VEHICLE TERMS:
- 車: car (everyday)
- 自動車: automobile (formal, includes all motor vehicles)
- トラック: truck
- バス: bus
- 軽自動車: kei car (small-displacement vehicle)