Gino 1 Seibi › Car part names in Japanese
Car part names in Japanese for maintenance work
In the SSW (i) automobile maintenance test most part names are written in katakana. Reading a part name instantly means you have already understood half the item. This page groups the common names by system, with English and Vietnamese meanings.
Last updated: 2026-10-12
At a glance
- 5groups in the table: engine, chassis, electrical, body, tools
- 800+entries in the app dictionary
- ・separates words in katakana names
- ーusually dropped at the end of technical words
How to read katakana part names
Most part names are English loanwords. Say them aloud as English: クランクシャフト is crankshaft, オルタネータ is alternator. Two features of technical writing help you guess quickly:
- The dot ・ separates words: シリンダ・ヘッド = cylinder + head, マスタ・シリンダ = master + cylinder.
- No final long vowel: ラジエータ (radiator), スタータ (starter), バッテリ (battery), センサ (sensor), フェンダ (fender). Everyday Japanese often writes ラジエーター, but maintenance textbooks and the test use the short form.
- Some names are kanji: 燃焼室 (combustion chamber), 倍力装置 (brake booster), 端子 (terminal). Learn both meaning and reading for these.
Part names by system
Meanings come from the Gino 1 Seibi app dictionary. Kanji words show their reading above the word.
Engine
| Japanese | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| シリンダ・ヘッド | cylinder head | nắp quy lát (nắp máy) |
| シリンダ | cylinder | xi lanh |
| ピストン | piston | piston |
| ピストン・リング | piston ring | xéc măng (vòng găng) |
| コンロッド | connecting rod | thanh truyền (tay biên) |
| クランクシャフト | crankshaft | trục khuỷu |
| カムシャフト | camshaft | trục cam |
| バルブ | valve | van; xu páp |
| 燃焼室 | combustion chamber | buồng đốt |
| オイル・ポンプ | oil pump | bơm dầu (bơm nhớt) |
| ラジエータ | radiator | két nước (két tản nhiệt) |
| サーモスタット | thermostat | van hằng nhiệt |
| インジェクション・ポンプ | injection pump | bơm cao áp |
Chassis
| Japanese | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| クラッチ・ディスク | clutch disc | đĩa ly hợp (lá côn) |
| トランスミッション | transmission | hộp số |
| プロペラ・シャフト | propeller shaft | trục các đăng |
| ドライブ・シャフト | drive shaft | bán trục (láp) |
| ファイナル・ギヤ | final gear (final drive) | truyền lực chính (cặp bánh răng quả dứa - vành chậu) |
| マスタ・シリンダ | master cylinder | xi lanh tổng phanh (heo dầu tổng) |
| 倍力装置 | servo (booster) unit | bộ trợ lực |
| ハブ | hub | moay ơ |
| ベアリング | bearing | vòng bi; ổ đỡ |
| リーフ・スプリング | leaf spring | nhíp (lò xo lá) |
| コイル・スプリング | coil spring | lò xo trụ (lò xo xoắn ốc) |
| パワー・ステアリング | power steering | trợ lực lái |
| フレーム | frame | khung xe (sát xi) |
Electrical
| Japanese | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| バッテリ | battery | ắc quy |
| スタータ | starter (starter motor) | máy khởi động (củ đề) |
| オルタネータ | alternator | máy phát điện (xoay chiều) |
| スパーク・プラグ | spark plug | bugi |
| ダイオード | diode | điốt |
| ソレノイド | solenoid | cuộn điện từ (solenoid) |
| センサ | sensor | cảm biến |
| 端子 | terminal | cực; đầu nối |
| ブラシ | brush | chổi than |
Body
| Japanese | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| ボンネット | bonnet (hood) | nắp ca pô |
| フェンダ | fender | chắn bùn (vè xe) |
| バンパ | bumper | cản xe (ba đờ xốc) |
| ドア | door | cửa xe |
| ウインドシールド・ガラス | windshield glass | kính chắn gió (kính trước) |
| 合わせガラス | laminated glass | kính dán nhiều lớp |
| 強化ガラス | tempered glass | kính cường lực |
| シート・ベルト | seat belt | dây an toàn |
| ウェザストリップ | weatherstrip | gioăng cửa (ron cửa) |
Tools & measuring
| Japanese | English | Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| ノギス | vernier calipers | thước cặp (thước kẹp) |
| マイクロメータ | micrometer | panme (thước vặn) |
| ダイヤル・ゲージ | dial gauge (dial indicator) | đồng hồ so |
| シックネス・ゲージ | thickness gauge (feeler gauge) | thước lá (căn lá) |
| シリンダ・ゲージ | cylinder gauge (bore gauge) | đồng hồ đo lỗ (đo xi lanh) |
| プラスチ・ゲージ | Plastigage | sợi nhựa đo khe hở (Plastigage) |
| トルク・レンチ | torque wrench | cờ lê lực (cần xiết lực) |
| サーキット・テスタ | circuit tester (multimeter) | đồng hồ vạn năng |
| プーラ | puller | vam (cảo) |
Making part names stick
- Follow the power flow. For the drivetrain: エンジン → クラッチ → トランスミッション → プロペラ・シャフト → ファイナル・ギヤ → ドライブ・シャフト → ハブ → タイヤ. Knowing the order fixes both the names and the functions.
- Pair names with jobs. Practical items are framed as jobs: "removing and refitting the スタータ", "measuring the ブレーキ・ディスク with a マイクロメータ". Learn part names together with 取り外し, 取り付け, 点検 and 測定.
- Learn confusable pairs. ドライブ・シャフト and プロペラ・シャフト; リーフ・スプリング and コイル・スプリング; ステータ and ロータ. True/false items like to swap these.
- Little and often. Fifteen minutes a day on one group, reviewed after 1, 3 and 7 days.
Work and condition words (点検, 摩耗, 緩み…) are on the Japanese car mechanic vocabulary page. How to use the measuring tools in the table is on reading measuring tools.
The parts dictionary in the app
The Gino 1 Seibi dictionary has more than 2,500 entries in 9 groups (engine, chassis, electrical, body, tools and measuring, materials and fluids, inspection and service, basics and units, common exam words). Looking up the word, reading and short meaning is free; detailed explanations, example sentences, figures and flashcards are part of VIP.
Sources checked: the JASPA specified skills test page (2024 test summary), the MLIT implementation rules and acceptance handbook (MLIT page) and the Prometric booking page. Rules can change, so check the latest version at these sources.
FAQ
Why does the test write ラジエータ and not ラジエーター?
Japanese automotive technical writing usually drops the long-vowel mark at the end of loanwords: ラジエータ, バッテリ, スタータ, センサ. The test and maintenance textbooks use this style, so get used to it.
What does the dot ・ between katakana words mean?
The middle dot (中点) separates the words of a compound name, as in シリンダ・ヘッド (cylinder head). It tells you how many English words the name is made of.
Do I need kanji as well?
Yes. Some part names and many work words are kanji, such as 燃焼室, 倍力装置, 点検 and 摩耗. The test has furigana, but knowing the meaning makes you much faster.
Where can I look up part names?
The dictionary in the Gino 1 Seibi app has more than 2,500 entries in 9 groups. Looking up the word, reading and short meaning is free.
Take a mock exam and see right away which items you missed and why.
Try it free now3 free papers with furigana. Opens in your browser, no sign-up.
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