Japanese word

国鉄

Pronunciation

Romajikokutetsu

Meaning

  • nounJapanese National Railways

Example

父は国鉄で働いていました。chichi wa koku tetsu de hatara i te i ma shi ta

My father worked for Japanese National Railways.

Illustration for 国鉄 (Japanese National Railways)

More examples

祖父は国鉄の駅長を務めていました。so fu wa koku tetsu no eki chō o tsuto me te i ma shi ta

My grandfather served as a stationmaster for Japanese National Railways.

Core concept

Refers to the public corporation that formerly operated Japan's nationwide state-owned railway network.

Common phrases

  • 国鉄で働くkoku tetsu de hatara ku

    work for Japanese National Railways

  • 国鉄の駅koku tetsu no eki

    Japanese National Railways station

  • 国鉄の列車koku tetsu no res sha

    Japanese National Railways train

Definition in Japanese

かつて全国の国有鉄道を運営した日本国有鉄道の通称で、公共企業体として運営されたもの。ka tsu te zen koku no koku yū tetsu dō o un ei shi ta nihon koku yū tetsu dō no tsū shō de kō kyō ki gyō tai to shi te un ei sa re ta mo no

Word origin

The name 国鉄 (kokutetsu) shortens 日本国有鉄道 (Nihon Kokuyū Tetsudō) through the compound 国有鉄道 (kokuyū tetsudō), using 国 (koku, "country") and 鉄 (tetsu, "iron").

Usage tips

  • The abbreviation 国鉄 (kokutetsu) refers specifically to the former state railway, so it does not name today's JR companies as a single organization.

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