1.
trunk; large suitcase
A large, rigid suitcase or travel case. Evokes the classic rectangular hard-sided luggage, though the word is sometimes used loosely for large bags in general.
2.
trunk; boot (of a car)
The luggage compartment at the rear of a car. This is the standard everyday word for this part of the car in Japanese.
A loanword from English "trunk." Both senses are common in everyday Japanese.
Usage
For luggage, トランク evokes a traditional hard-sided rectangular case. Modern wheeled suitcases are more often called スーツケース or キャリーケース, while トランク has a somewhat classic or vintage feel in this sense. For cars, トランク is the everyday word — it works for sedans and is sometimes extended to SUVs and hatchbacks, though 荷室 (cargo area) is also used for those.
Common collocations
- トランクを開ける: to open the trunk
- トランクに積む: to load into the trunk
- トランクルーム: storage room, trunk room (a rental storage unit)
- トランクス: boxer shorts (trunks — note the different word)