1.
motorcycle; motorbike
A motorcycle. A somewhat older or colloquial word, originally distinguishing a solo motorcycle from one with a sidecar.
単車で通勤している。
I commute by motorcycle.
若いころは単車が好きだった。
When I was young I liked motorcycles.
父は昔、単車で日本中を旅したそうだ。
My father apparently traveled all over Japan by motorcycle long ago.
An older, somewhat colloquial word for a motorcycle. The name (literally 'single vehicle') originally contrasted a motorcycle alone with one fitted with a sidecar. It can sound dated; younger speakers usually say バイク.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- バイク: motorcycle — the standard everyday word today
- オートバイ: motorcycle — slightly more formal, used in writing and traffic contexts
- 自転車: bicycle — a different vehicle, not motorized