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For Life
2007.01.10

We guess cars must be pretty proud of these little pieces of metal. Why else would they be displayed so prominently?

Today's LessonCATEGORY: ジャパニーズイングリッシュ
LICENSE PLATE    （米）（自動車の）ナンバープレート（（英）number plate）

Explanation

  • A license plate is a metal sign with a code (= numbers, letters, etc.) on it. It is put on the front or back of a car or other vehicle in order to identify the vehicle.

    Be Careful! In the United States, we do NOT use the expression “number plate” 「ナンバープレート」 to mean license plate.
  • license plate とは、（番号や文字などの）記号が書かれた金属の表示板、つまり、ナンバープレートのことです。車を特定するために、乗用車などの前後に取り付けるものです。

    注意：アメリカでは、「ナンバープレート」のことを license plate と言います。

examples

  1. There's a camera there that takes a picture of the license plate and driver of any vehicle that enters the intersection after the light turns red.
  2. (an employee at a hot spring resort)
    Most of our guests come from Tokyo. Just look at all the Shinagawa license plates in the parking lot.
  3. (reporting an accident to the police)
    POLICEMAN: Did you get the license plate number?
    WITNESS: Yes, it was “007”.
    POLICEMAN: You're joking, right?

英会話レッスンIf you could choose your own license plate number, what would it be?