How to say "car" in Japanese

• 車くるまJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for a car: driving, parking, buying, traffic — if you mean the family automobile in conversation, this is the default. It can also refer to vehicles more generally.
  車くるまを運転うんてんする時ときはいくら注意ちゅういしてもしすぎることはない。↗

  You cannot be too careful when you drive a car.
• カーJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounA loanword that seldom stands alone as the word for a car; you will mostly meet it inside fixed expressions, product names and advertising rather than in everyday talk about someone's car.
  あいつはカーマニアだから、車くるまのことならなんでも知しってるよ。↗

  He's a car nut. Ask him anything.
• 車両しゃりょうCommon
  nounCovers vehicles as a general, official-sounding category, and is the usual word for a railroad car or carriage; for an ordinary automobile in conversation it is not the natural choice.
  試運転しうんてんでは車両しゃりょうはみんなうまく動うごいた。↗

  All the vehicles behaved well on their test runs.
• 自動車じどうしゃJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe full-fledged term for an automobile: the word you meet in news reports, laws, statistics and the motor industry. In casual talk about your own car, 車 is what you would say.
  私達わたしたちはその自動車じどうしゃを12,000ドルで買かった。↗

  We bought the car for $12,000.
• 四輪車よんりんしゃCommon
  nounLiterally 'four-wheeled vehicle', a classificatory term that counts wheels rather than names the family car; seldom the word you want in everyday talk, it appears when distinguishing cars from two-wheeled vehicles.

For an ordinary car use 車; 自動車 is the automobile term of news and industry; 車両 covers railroad cars and vehicles in official use; 「カー」 appears mostly in set phrases and 四輪車 is classificatory.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 車くるまcar
• カーcar
• 車両しゃりょう(wheeled) vehicle
• 自動車じどうしゃcar
• 四輪車よんりんしゃautomobile
• 車しゃcar
• お車おくるまcar
• 乗用車じょうようしゃ(passenger) car
• 箱はこcar (of a train, etc.)
• オートauto
• ゴンドラgondola (hot-air balloon, airship, etc.)
• ぶーぶーcar