Vocabulary for transportation and travel

Vocabulary of public transportation

Vocabulary of public transportation covers words used for trains, airplanes, buses, stations, airports, and parking lots. In JLPT N3, these words are tested through kanji reading, kanji writing, choosing the right word to fill a sentence, and matching meanings. The key is to understand the differences between words that are easily confused, for example 遅れる and 遅刻, or 運休 and 欠航.

• 遅れる(おくれる, to be late) — means to arrive or depart later than the scheduled time. Its opposite is 早く(はやく, earlier). The noun form 遅れ(おくれ, delay) uses the same kanji 遅.
• 遅延(ちえん, delay) — a noun for the delay of a vehicle. Read ちえん, with 遅 read as ち and 延 read as えん. Its meaning is the same as 予定より遅れる(よていよりおくれる, to be late compared with the schedule), and it is often used in station or airport announcements.
• 遅延と欠航 on airplanes — a plane that still flies but departs late is called 遅延, not 欠航 or 運休.
• 間に合う(まにあう, to be in time) — means to arrive or finish before a deadline. The pattern 〜ように is often used before it to express purpose, for example hurrying so as to be able to board the next vehicle.
• 乗り遅れる(のりおくれる, to miss a ride) — means to be too late to board a vehicle. This word is the opposite of 間に合う. In the pattern 〜ないように, people leave earlier, for example with 早めに(はやめに, earlier than usual), so as not to miss the vehicle.
• 遅刻(ちこく, to arrive late) — arriving late at work, school, or an appointment. This word is not the same as 欠勤 (absence from work), because the person still attends but arrives late. This word is not used as a name of a time or as an action that is started.
• 運休(うんきゅう, suspended service) — a train or bus service that is temporarily stopped. It is usually used with 〜のため because of bad weather or other reasons.
• 運転を見合わせる(うんてんをみあわせる, to suspend operation temporarily) — expresses the same condition as 止まる(とまる, to stop) when a train does not run temporarily because of a problem.
• 欠航(けっこう, flight or sailing cancelled) — used for airplanes and ships, not for trains or buses. Read けっこう, not こうこう. The pattern 〜ので is used when a typhoon or weather makes airplanes unable to fly.
• 中止(ちゅうし, cancelled) — used for events or activities that are called off, not for regular transportation schedules.
• 満員(まんいん, crowded to capacity) — a state in which people or a place is completely full, for example a train at rush hour. This word is not used to express feelings or food orders.
• 満車(まんしゃ, parking full) — used for a parking lot that can no longer hold vehicles.
• 渋滞(じゅうたい, traffic jam) — vehicles are held up because the road is congested, so the trip takes longer and vehicles must detour.
• 出発(しゅっぱつ, departure) — read しゅっぱつ, with 出 changing to しゅっ and 発 read as ぱつ. Its opposite is 到着(とうちゃく, arrival).
• 発車時刻(はっしゃじこく, train departure time) — the time when a train leaves. Changes are usually announced on the 掲示板(けいじばん, notice board) on the platform.
• 乗り換え(のりかえ, transfer) — read のりかえ with clear voicing. Do not confuse it with 乗り越える(のりこえる, to pass over or overcome). There is also 乗り捨てる(のりすてる, to abandon a vehicle after use), which is different from transferring.
• 移動(いどう, movement) — a general word for moving from one place to another, often used with 〜まで. It differs from 乗り換え, which means changing vehicles in the middle of a trip.
• 往復(おうふく, round trip) — a trip going back and forth between two places.
• 特急(とっきゅう, limited express) — read とっきゅう, with the double consonant っ after 特(とく).
• 改札(かいさつ, ticket inspection at the gate) — read かいさつ without dakuon. 改札口(かいさつぐち, ticket gate) is the place where tickets are checked when entering or leaving the platform area.
• 券売機(けんばいき, ticket vending machine) — the place where passengers buy tickets at a station. Other vocabulary that often appears as distractors are 乗務員(じょうむいん, train crew) and 待合室(まちあいしつ, waiting room), which are not places to buy tickets.
• 切符(きっぷ, ticket) — written with the kanji 切符 and bought at a counter or machine.
• 買う(かう, to buy) — the kanji 買 is used for buying tickets or goods. The kanji 飼う(かう, to keep animals) and 勝つ(かつ, to win) are not appropriate in this context.
• 飛行機(ひこうき, airplane) — written with the kanji 飛行機.
• 地下鉄(ちかてつ, subway) — written with 地(ち, ground), 下(か, under), and 鉄(てつ, iron, here meaning railway).
• 駐車場(ちゅうしゃじょう, parking lot) — written with 駐(ちゅう, to park a vehicle) and 車場(しゃじょう, vehicle place).