列車
れっしゃ · ressha · JLPT N3 · noun
train
🚆 列車 = row + vehicle: cars in a row make a train
列 (retsu) means a row or line, as in 行列 (queue). 車 (sha) means vehicle, as in 自動車 (car). A row of vehicles coupled together is a train. 列車 is the general word for a train as a vehicle, often used in announcements and timetables.
列 — 歹 (bone fragments) + 刂 (knife)
Originally depicted cutting bones apart with a knife, showing the act of separating things into pieces. The meaning extended from 'to divide' to 'arrange in a row' or 'sequence,' since dividing items naturally produces an ordered series. Today it primarily means 'row,' 'line,' or 'to list.'