在来線

Japanese

Kanji in this term
在	来	線
ざい Grade: 5	らい Grade: 2	せん Grade: 2
goon

Alternative spelling
在來線 (kyūjitai)

在来線 (zairaisen): several different rail cars on the conventional rail lines, not the bullet train lines.

Etymology

Compound of 在来(ざいらい) (zairai, “preexisting”) + 線(せん) (sen, “line”). Originally, this referred to any existing line when a new line was built that served roughly the same area. While this meaning persists, with the advent of the shinkansen, the term gained a meaning in certain contexts to refer to the conventional railway lines as opposed to the bullet train lines.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ざいらいせん [zàíráíséń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [d͡za̠iɾa̠isẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

在(ざい)来(らい)線(せん) • (zairaisen) 

1. an older or pre-existing rail line, as opposed to any newer line servicing the same area
2. the non-bullet train JR railway lines, the regular train lines as opposed to the shinkansen