自転車

Japanese

Etymology 1
Kanji in this term
自 転 車
じ
Grade: 2		 てん
Grade: 3		 しゃ
Grade: 1
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
自轉車 (kyūjitai)

Coined in Japan in 1870 in the Meiji period in reference to a patented tricycle design.[1] Later used to refer to bicycles.

Compound of Sinitic-derived elements 自 (ji, “self”) +‎ 転 (ten, “rolling”, simplified modern form of 轉) +‎ 車 (sha, “vehicle”).

Pronunciation

Noun

自(じ)転(てん)車(しゃ) • (jitensha) ←じてんしや (zitensya)? (counter 台)

  1. a bicycle
Synonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms
  • 自転車横断帯 (じてんしゃおうだんたい, ​jitensha ōdantai) (road sign) bicycle crossing
  • 自転車競技 (じてんしゃきょうぎ, ​jitensha kyōgi): a bicycle competition (race)
  • 自転車競走 (じてんしゃきょうそう, ​jitensha kyōsō): a bicycle race
  • 自転車操業 (じてんしゃそうぎょう, ​jitensha sōgyō): “bicycle operations” → a business model that requires regular infusions of external capital to remain viable (similar to riding a bicycle, as halting operations means immediate bankruptcy, much as stopping pedaling causes a bicycle rider to fall over)
  • 自転車屋 (じてんしゃや, ​jitensha-ya): a bike shop, a bicycle store
  • 自転車旅行 (じてんしゃりょこう, ​jitensha ryokō): a bicycle trip, bike touring
Descendants
  • → Hakka: 自轉車／自转车 (chhṳ-chón-chhâ)
  • → Korean: 자전거 (jajeon'geo)
  • → Min Nan: 自轉車／自转车 (chū-choán-chhia)
See also

Etymology 2
Kanji in this term
自 転 車
じ
Grade: 2		 てん > でん
Grade: 3		 しゃ
Grade: 1
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
自轉車 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) じで​んしゃ [jìdéꜜǹshà] (Nakadaka – [2])
  • (Tokyo) じでんしゃ [jìdéńshá] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA(key): [d͡ʑidẽ̞ɰ̃ɕa̠]

Noun

自(じ)転(でん)車(しゃ) • (jidensha)  (counter 台)

  1. (dialect, Kantō, Hakata) bicycle

References
  1. 1997, Toshihiko Saitō, くるまたちの社会史: 人力車から自動車まで (Kuruma-tachi no Shakai-shi: Jinrikisha Kara Jidōsha Made, “A Social History of Cars: From Rickshaws to Automobiles”) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Chūōkōron-sha, →ISBN
  2. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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