1.
standard-sized car; regular car
A car classified as a standard passenger vehicle, as opposed to a light car (軽自動車). Used in contexts like car rental, parking fees, and vehicle registration.
普通車を借りた。
I rented a standard-sized car.
駐車場の料金は普通車と軽自動車で異なる。
The parking fee differs for standard cars and light vehicles.
普通車の免許を取るのに教習所に通っている。
I'm attending a driving school to get a regular car license.
2.
regular train car; non-reserved car
An ordinary, unreserved car on a train, as opposed to a reserved car (指定席車) or Green Car (グリーン車). The most basic class of seating on Japanese trains.
普通車は混んでいた。
The regular car was crowded.
新幹線の普通車自由席に座った。
I sat in the non-reserved seat in the regular car on the bullet train.
グリーン車が満席だったので、普通車に変更した。
The Green Car was full, so I changed to a regular car.
Has two main meanings depending on context: a standard passenger car (as opposed to a light car) and a regular-class train car.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 普通車自由席: non-reserved regular seat
- 普通車指定席: reserved regular seat
- 普通車の免許: standard car license
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 軽自動車: light car — smaller engine displacement, lower taxes
- グリーン車: Green Car — first-class train car with wider seats
- 乗用車: passenger car — broader term for any car used for passengers