1.
train car number; carriage number
A counter suffix used to indicate the number of a specific car on a train. Used with numbers to identify which car to board, as seen on tickets and platform signs.
3号車に乗ってください。
Please board car number 3.
指定席は5号車です。
The reserved seats are in car 5.
新幹線のグリーン車は8号車から10号車までです。
The Green Car (first class) on the Shinkansen is cars 8 through 10.
A counter suffix combining 号 (number) and 車 (car/vehicle). Essential vocabulary for riding trains in Japan, especially reserved-seat services like the Shinkansen.
COUNTING PATTERN:
- 1号車 (いちごうしゃ)
- 2号車 (にごうしゃ)
- 3号車 (さんごうしゃ)
- 何号車 (なんごうしゃ) — which car number?
USAGE:
Appears on train tickets, platform signs, and station announcements. When boarding a Shinkansen or limited express, finding the correct 号車 is essential since platform markings indicate where each car stops.
RELATED TERMS:
- 車両 — rail car, vehicle; the general term for a train car as a physical unit
- 両 — counter for train cars (counts how many cars a train has)