電気自動車
denki jidōsha[dẽ̞ŋʲkʲi d͡ʑido̞ːɕa̠]
The English phrase 'electric car' is translated into Japanese as 電気自動車 (denki jidōsha).
電気自動車 refers to a car that uses electric motors. In common Japanese speech, the abbreviation EV is also frequently used and is typically pronounced by saying the English letters 'E-V'.
Meaning: a car that uses electric motors (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 電気自動車 is composed of the parts 電気 (denki), meaning 'electricity' and 自動車 (jidōsha), meaning 'automobile'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
電気自動車 is the standard, formal term used in news, official documents and technical contexts. While EV is a common abbreviation, 電気自動車 is the full formal way to express the concept.
How do you pronounce it?
denki jidōsha
Did you know?
- The character 車 (sha) in 電気自動車 is a pictograph that originally looked like a bird's-eye view of a chariot with two wheels.
- In Japanese urban planning, the term 電気自動車 is often discussed in the context of スマートシティ (smart cities), where the car is viewed as a mobile battery that can feed power back into the home.
- In Japanese car advertisements, the letters 'EV' are often left in the Latin alphabet rather than being converted to Katakana. This is a stylistic choice to make the vehicle look more 'high-tech' and modern to consumers.
Examples in context
- 電気自動車の充電には、結構な時間がかかります。Charging the electric car takes a very long time.This sentence is useful for describing the time required to charge a 電気自動車.Tatoeba #10032407 by small_snow, translation #10019236 by shekitten
- 電気自動車の充電って、めちゃくちゃ時間がかかるのよ。Charging the electric car takes such a long time.This sentence is useful for expressing how long it takes to charge a 電気自動車 in a more casual tone.Tatoeba #10032408 by small_snow, translation #10019237 by shekitten
- トームは電気自動車を運転する。Tom drives an electric car.This sentence is useful for stating that someone drives a 電気自動車.Tatoeba #3758614 by demilune, translation #3658377 by Hybrid
- 充電ステーションはどこですか？電気自動車を充電したいんです。Where is the charging station? I want to charge my electric car.
- 電気自動車は地球環境に優しいですよね。Electric cars are kind to the global environment, aren't they?
- 将来、電気自動車を購入したいと考えています。I am thinking of purchasing an electric car in the future.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daigo and Yui are talking about buying a new vehicle.
- 大翔 Hiroto次は電気自動車にしたいと思っているんだ。Tsugi wa denki jidōsha ni shitai to omotte iru nda.I'm thinking of getting an electric car next.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。環境に優しいですし。Ii desu ne. Kankyō ni yasashii desu shi.That's a great idea. They are environmentally friendly.
- 大翔 Hirotoでも、電気自動車はまだ値段が高いよね。Demo, denki jidōsha wa mada nedan ga takai yo ne.But electric cars are still expensive, aren't they?
- 結衣 Yui確かにそうですが、補助金がありますよ。Tashika ni sō desu ga, hojokin ga arimasu yo.That's true, but there are subsidies available.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 電気自動車, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
