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車掌 (shashou) Japanese meaning: train conductor | Kotomora
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The conductor came to check the tickets.
A conductor is on board the limited express train.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 が 車しゃ 掌しょう を 務つと める for someone to serve as the train conductor
He has served as the conductor on this line for many years.
車しゃ 掌しょう に 〈 事こと 〉 を 聞き く to ask the conductor about something
I asked the conductor about transferring trains.
車しゃ 掌しょう が 〈 事こと 〉 をアナウンスする for the conductor to announce something
The conductor announced the next stop.
Kanji 掌 palm of hand, rule, administer Related words 乗務員 is a broad term covering any train or bus crew member, while 車掌 refers specifically to the conductor in charge of passengers and tickets.
車掌 is the everyday term for a train or bus conductor who collects fares and manages passengers, whereas コンダクター is a rarer, more formal-sounding word for the same job.
Don't confuse with 運転士 is the person who actually drives the train, whereas 車掌 handles passenger service, announcements, and ticket checks.
車掌 works aboard the train as the conductor, while 駅員 works at the station itself, so learners often confuse who does which job.
Etymology Compound of 車 (しゃ, 'vehicle, train') and 掌 (しょう, 'to manage, to be in charge of'). The character 掌 originally means 'palm' but here carries the extended sense of 'supervising' or 'managing'.
