Questions & Answers about saishuu densha wa mou deta.
How do you read this sentence?
It is read:
さいしゅう でんしゃ は もう でた。
If written without the learner-style spaces, it is:
最終電車はもう出た。
A natural English gloss is The last train has already left.
Why are there spaces between the words here? I thought Japanese normally doesn’t use spaces.
Japanese normally does not use spaces between words, so the standard writing is:
最終電車はもう出た。
The spaces here are just for learners, to make the parts easier to see:
- 最終電車 = last train / final train
- は = topic marker
- もう = already
- 出た = left / departed
So the spaced version is a teaching aid, not normal everyday spelling.
What does 最終電車 mean exactly?
最終電車 literally means final train or last train.
- 最終 = final, last
- 電車 = train
In natural English, last train is usually the best translation.
Also, in everyday Japanese, people very often say 終電（しゅうでん） instead of 最終電車.
So:
- 最終電車 = a bit fuller / more formal
- 終電 = very common in daily conversation
