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ペーパードライバー Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ペーパードライバー

also: ペーパードライバ · ペーパー・ドライバー · ペーパー・ドライバ

ペ

ー

パ

ー

ド

ラ

イ

バ

ー

Meanings

1

noun

paper driver; licensed but inexperienced driver

Wasei-eigo term for someone who holds a driver's license but rarely or never drives, and thus lacks practical experience.

wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English), from paper driver

彼かの女じょはペーパードライバーなので、運うん転てんするのが怖こわいと言いっている。
She says she's a paper driver, so she's scared to drive.
ペーパードライバー

向む

け

の

講こう

習しゅう

を

受う

け

て

、

久ひさ

しぶり

に

運うん

転てん

し

た

。

I took a refresher course for paper drivers and drove for the first time in a long while.

Written forms

ペーパードライバ
Variant without the long vowel mark; less common but seen.
ペーパー・ドライバー
Spelling with interpunct; sometimes used for clarity.
ペーパー・ドライバ
Rare variant combining interpunct and missing long vowel mark.

Similar words

運うん転てん免めん許きょ
Refers to the driver's license itself, not the person.
初しょ心しん者しゃマーク
The beginner driver sticker; a paper driver may still need to display it if they are a new driver, but the term focuses on lack of experience rather than being a new license holder.

Etymology

Wasei-eigo (Japanese-made English) from 'paper' and 'driver', implying a driver who exists only on paper (i.e., has a license but no real driving experience).