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    ゾロ目ナンバー (zorome nanbā - car license plate with matching digits)

    Grammar & Usage

    noun
    neutral

    How it works

    This phrase is a compound noun. "ゾロ目" (zorome) refers to matching digits (e.g., 111, 777, 8888), and "ナンバー" (nanbā) is a loanword from English "number", commonly used to mean 'license plate number' or just 'license plate' in this context. Together, they describe a specific type of license plate.

    Sample sentences

    友人が「777」のゾロ目ナンバーの車を買った。

    My friend bought a car with '777' matching digits on its license plate.

    ゾロ目ナンバーは人気があるので、抽選になることが多いです。

    Matching-digit license plates are popular, so they often have to be decided by lottery.

    彼は縁起を担いで「8888」のゾロ目ナンバーを選びました。

    He chose the '8888' matching-digit license plate for good luck.

    Quick facts

    etymology:ゾロ目 (zorome) is a native Japanese term for consecutive identical numbers or identical numbers appearing together, often used in dice games. ナンバー (nanbā) is a gairaigo (loanword) from English 'number'.
    writing_system:Uses Katakana for the loanword ナンバー and a mix of Katakana for ゾロ目, though ゾロ目 can also be seen in Hiragana or sometimes written as 揃い目 (soroime) for the 'matching' aspect.
    cultural_significance:Certain 'zorome' numbers are considered lucky (e.g., 777, 8888) or desirable in Japan, leading people to specifically request them through the 希望ナンバー制度 (kibō nanbā seido - desired license plate number system).

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    友人が「777」のゾロ目ナンバーの車を買った。

    My friend bought a car with '777' matching digits on its license plate.

    ゾロ目ナンバーは人気があるので、抽選になることが多いです。

    Matching-digit license plates are popular, so they often have to be decided by lottery.

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