Hi everyone!
Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we’re going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That’s right – kanji seen and used everyday!
The theme for this week is kanji found on signs inside the train station. Let’s take a look!
①
乗車券 (jōshaken) = ticket (usually refers to a train or bus ticket)
乗車券 (jōshaken) is a ticket used to ride a train or a bus. In this picture you can see the vending machine where you buy tickets for the subway. This word is includes the word 乗車 (jōsha, boarding) plus the word for ticket, 券.
乗車券 (jōshaken) = ticket (usually refers to a train ticket)
● 乗 (jō) = ride
● 車 (sha) = car
● 券 (ken) = ticket
Sample Sentence:
窓口で乗車券を購入した。
Madoguchi de jōshaken o kōnyū shita.
I bought a ticket at the ticket counter.
②
定期券 (teikiken) = commuter pass
A 定期券 (teikiken) is a special type of 券 (ticket) used on the trains. 定期 means “fixed”, and refers to the fact that this pass is used for a fixed amount of time for a fixed route – in other words, a commuter pass. You pay in advance for the fare of your daily commute. A fixed pass used by students is called a 通学定期券 (tsūgaku teikiken).
定期券 (teikiken) = commuter pass
● 定 (tei) = fixed
● 期 (ki) = period
● 券 (ken) = ticket
Sample Sentence:
定期券が切れてしまったので、更新しなければなりません。
Teikiken ga kirete shimatta no de, kōshin shinakereba narimasen.
My commuter pass has expired, so I need to renew it.
③
のりこし精算 (norikoshi seisan) = fare adjustment
To get from point A to point B on the train, you need to buy a ticket, right? But what happens when you decide you need to get off at a station before or after point B? Your fare might be different than what you initially paid. That’s where this handy machine comes in. If your fare needs to be adjusted in any way, find the machine that says のりこし精算(機) (norikoshi seisan(ki)). If you are using a prepaid card, this is also the machine you use if you don’t have enough money on it to cover your fare.
のりこし精算 (norikoshi seisan) = fare adjustment
精算 (seisan) = adjustment
● 精 (sei) = refined
● 算 (san) = calculate
Extra:
のりこし would be 乗り越し in kanji, and comes from the verb 乗り越す.
乗り越す (norikosu) = to ride past one’s destination
Sample Sentence:
もし新宿で下りるなら、乗り越し精算機で、精算しなければなりません。
Moshi Shinjuku de oriru nara, norikoshi seisanki de, seisan shinakereba narimasen.
If you’re going to get off at Shinjuku station, you need to adjust the fare using the fare adjustment machine.
④
投入金額 (tōnyū kingaku) = amount (of money) inserted
The number next to 投入金額 shows you how much money you have inserted into the machine. We can break up those phrase into two words: 投入 and 金額.
投入金額 (tōnyū kingaku) = amount (of money) inserted
投入 (tōnyū) = insert, input
● 投 (tō) = throw
● 入 (nyū) = enter, insert
金額 (kingaku) = amount of money
● 金 (kin) = gold, money
● 額 (gaku) = amount, sum
Sample Sentence:
投入金額は５００円です。
Tōnyū kingaku wa go-hyaku-en desu.
The amount inserted is 500 yen.
⑤
PASMOはご利用頂けません (PASMO wa go-riyō itadakemasen) = You cannot use a PASMO card.
If you have been to Tokyo, you may be familiar with the PASMO card. It is a rechargeable IC (integrated circuit) card that can be used on virtually all Tokyo’s railways and subways.
ご利用 (go-riyō) = usage, use (with honorific prefix ご)
● 利 (ri) = profit, advantage
● 用 (yō) = utilize, use
頂けません (itadakemasen) – negative form of the verb 頂けます (itadakemasu), which literally means “can receive”. ご利用頂けます is a common polite phrase meaning “You can use…”, so ご利用頂けません means “You cannot use…”. It is the same as saying ご利用できません (go-riyō dekimasen).
● 頂 (itada(ku)) = to receive
Sample Sentence:
ご本人名義以外のクレジットカードはご利用頂けません。
Go-hon’nin meigi igai no kurejitto kādo wa go-riyō itadakemasen.
You cannot use a credit card in a name other than your own.
★ If you think you can remember them all, try testing yourself with this video on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d18M7rA9x8
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