車線
shasen[ɕa̠sẽ̞ɴ]
In Japanese, the word for 'lane' can be expressed as 車線 (shasen) or レーン.
Meaning: division of roadway (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 車線 | shasen | [ɕa̠sẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| レーン | rēn |
The term refers to a division of a roadway. A common related phrase is 車線変更 (shasen henkō), which is the standard term for a 'lane change' when driving.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 車線 (shasen) is a compound consisting of 車, meaning 'vehicle' and 線, meaning 'line'.
Which one should you use?
Use 車線 when you are referring specifically to lanes on a road meant for vehicular traffic. The loanword レーン is also used, such as in the context of a name like 'Cock Lane'.
How do you pronounce it?
shasen
Did you know?
- In Japan, the word 線 in 車線 refers to the painted white markings rather than the space between them.
- A 'lane' in a sense of a narrow street in an old town is often called a 路地 (roji) rather than using the word for a roadway lane.
- When describing a 'fast lane' in a metaphorical sense, such as a high-paced lifestyle, Japanese speakers typically avoid 車線 and use different idioms entirely.
Examples in context
- 車は車線変更しまくっていた。The car kept swerving from lane to lane.This sentence shows how to describe a car moving between lanes using 車線.Tatoeba #11263471 by small_snow, translation #2300124 by AlanF_US
- 一番右側の車線は現在工事中である。The rightmost lane is now under construction.This sentence provides an example of using 車線 to describe a lane under construction.Tatoeba #190123 by mookeee, translation #27280 by CK
- コック・レーンの幽霊は英国の十八世紀の幽霊話のひとつです。The Ghost of Cock Lane is an English ghost story from the 18th century.This sentence uses the loanword レーン as part of a proper name in a ghost story.Tatoeba #699073 by Scott, translation #699074 by Scott
- 私たちは小道を通って神社に行きました。We walked through the narrow lane to reach the shrine.
- お店は路地の奥にあります。The shop is located at the end of the alley.
- この小道はとても風情があって好きです。I really like this narrow lane, it has a lot of charm.
- この裏通りには美味しいレストランがたくさんありますよ。There are many delicious restaurants on this back alley.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Kenta are driving in a car.
- 陽葵 Himari次の車線に移動していい？Tsugi no shasen ni idō shite ii?Can I move to the next lane?
- 健太 Kentaいいよ。後ろに車はいないかな。Ii yo. Ushiro ni kuruma wa inai kana.Sure. I wonder if there are any cars behind us.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫。車線変更するね。Daijōbu. Shasen henkō suru ne.It's okay. I'll change lanes now.
- 健太 Kenta了解。気をつけてね。Ryōkai. Ki o tsukete ne.Got it. Be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lane” translations and entries 車線, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
