Japanese with Manga

Cost to ride the train with 電車

Kanji Explanation: Electricity and communication with 電

Manga panel from 三ツ星カラーズ showing example of Cost to ride the train with 電車.
三ツ星カラーズ » Volume 6 » Page 79

Yui and her friends get permission to ride the train to continue their search for the legendary giant robot. Tickets are listed as 70 yen for children.

さっちゃん:
「動物園(どうぶつえん)はタダなのに」
“Even though the zoo is free...”
結衣(ゆい):
「電車(でんしゃ)は動物(どうぶつ)より強(つよ)い」
“Trains are stronger than animals.”
Literal: “The train is stronger than animals.”
琴葉(ことは):
「ティラノサウルスより強(つよ)い」
“Stronger than a Tyrannosaurus.”

Key Points

1電車(でんしゃ) = train, literally an electric railway car
  • The 電 in 電車(でんしゃ) is the same kanji for electricity, so the word originally refers to an electrically powered train car.
2より is used for comparison
  • 「Ⓐは Ⓑより 強(つよ)い」 means “A is stronger than B”.
3The next line omits what is already understood: 電車(でんしゃ)は
  • 「ティラノサウルスより 強(つよ)い」 continues the same sentence pattern from the previous line.
  • The full idea is 電車(でんしゃ)は ティラノサウルスより 強(つよ)い.
4〜のに marks contrast in Sacchan’s complaint
  • 「動物園(どうぶつえん)はタダなのに」 means “Even though the zoo is free…”
  • The sentence trails off, but the implied complaint is that the train still costs money.

Vocabulary

(Zoo)

動物園(どうぶつえん) means a zoo, where animals are kept and displayed to the public.

(Free)

タダ describes something that costs nothing. It is a katakana spelling of ただ.

(Train)

電車(でんしゃ) means an electric train, especially an everyday passenger train.

(Animal)

動物(どうぶつ) means an animal. In everyday use, it usually means a nonhuman creature.

(Than)

より marks the thing being compared against: “than”. It can also mean “from”.

(Strong)

強(つよ)い describes superior strength or skill, physical or mental resilience, or an extreme degree or level of something.

(Tyrannosaurus)

ティラノサウルス is Tyrannosaurus, the large meat-eating dinosaur.

See Also

三ツ星カラーズ © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.