1.
domestic car — a car manufactured in one's own country (especially, in Japan, one produced by a Japanese manufacturer)
A car made in the speaker's own country. In Japan, this specifically refers to cars produced by Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, or Mazda, and is contrasted with 輸入車 ('imported car'). Often associated with affordability, good fuel economy, and ease of maintenance in the local market.
新しい国産車を買った。
I bought a new domestic car.
国産車は部品が手に入りやすく、修理も安い。
Domestic cars are easy to get parts for, and repairs are cheap.
燃費のよさや信頼性の高さから、国産車を選ぶ人が多い。
Many people choose domestic cars because of their good fuel economy and high reliability.
Compound of 国産 ('domestically produced') and 車 ('vehicle').
USAGE:
- In Japanese contexts, refers to cars made by Japanese manufacturers — Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki, etc.
- Routinely contrasted with 輸入車 or 外車 in discussions of price, maintenance, and preference.
- Broader noun 国産 itself applies to any domestically produced goods (food, machinery, clothing); 国産車 is the specialization for cars.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 国産車に乗る: to drive a domestic car
- 国産車を買う: to buy a domestic car
- 国産車市場: domestic car market
- 国産車の販売: sale of domestic cars
- 国産車メーカー: domestic carmaker
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 輸入車: imported car — direct antonym.
- 外車: foreign car — colloquial antonym.
- 国産: domestically produced — the base noun, applicable to any product.
RELATED TERMS:
- 日本車: Japanese car — nearly interchangeable with 国産車 in Japan, but emphasizes the country of origin rather than 'domestic'.
- 自動車: automobile
- {メーカー}: (car) manufacturer