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「電車が空く【すく】」と「電車が空く【あく】」はどう違いますか?
説明が難しい場合は、例文を教えていただけませんか。

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  • Where did you see 電車が[空]{あ}く?
    – chocolate
    Mar 13, 2016 at 3:14
  • 1
    Perhaps you could expand this question to ask when does 空く take あく as its reading.
    – Flaw
    Mar 13, 2016 at 3:55

5 Answers 5

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I cannot think of any practical uses of 電車が[空]{あ}く.

電車が[空]{す}く means, as passengers get off, the train gets more and more spacious. Probably it's more commonly used as

この電車は[空]{す}いている
Not many passengers are on this train.

Note about [空]{あ}く: it is more commonly used for an individual seat, as in

この席は[空]{あ}いてますか?
Is this seat available?

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すく: ◯◯◯◯◯◯ → ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯

あく: ◯◯◯◯◯◯◯ → ◯◯◯    ◯◯◯

「電車がすく」は乗客が少なくなることで、「電車があく」は貸し切り車両が占有されていない状態になること、または、満員だった指定席のいずれかが占有されていない状態になることです。

edit: I have to admit 電車があく is only possible in highly unusual situations, please check nodakai's answer.

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  • 1
    「指定席のいずれかが占有されていない状態になること」は席が空く・空いたと言うことが多い気はします。
    – unarist
    Mar 16, 2016 at 8:57
  • I am sorry I had to downvote. I will explain the reason by answering myself.
    – user7644
    Mar 20, 2016 at 20:43
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“電車が[空]{す}く” means the train is not jammed and the seats are available, but I’m puzzled with the expression “電車が[空]{あ}く”.

When we say “部屋が[空]{あ}く,” it means the room is empty (for rent or stay), but the train itself (not seats) can not be "empty" when it’s in use.

We say “(電車の)席が[空]{あ}く- the seat is unoccupied,” and “電車のドアが[開]{あ}く – the doors of trains open,” but I’ve never heard “電車が[空]{あ}く.”

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I personally agree with the answer of Nodaki-san.

However, for complimentary' sake, I would like to add my opinion by answering.

Might not the questioner, 「電車が空{あ}く」 be confused with 「電車が空{す}く」 or 「電車が開{あ}く」?

While the former, I try to point to the 空{あ}く, 空{あ}く means something gets empty or the space will be created at certain places,

as you can see in the link, if you might try to mean, 「電車が空{す}く」, then you will get the meaning, as you find there,

たいてい電車はその駅{えき}ですく(空{す}く)

Usually the trains get emptier once they reach that station.

While if you miht have tried to mean, 「開{あ}く」,, as you can see in the link, and considering in English case, the verb must've been conceived as the intransitive, you would get the meaning of

for example, borrowing the dictionary's example,

店は10時に開{あ}く

The store opens at ten.

So, we could also say in the above meaning here, should your case be that then,

you might have tried to mean

The train ( which was closed ( perhaps due to the maintenance or something ) till then )), finally "opens" ( opened. )

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I guess 「電車が[空]{あ}く」 is a abbreviated expression of 「電車(の席)が[空]{あ}く」.

The opposite phrase of 「電車が[空]{す}く」 is 「電車が[混]{こ}む」.
The opposite phrase of 「電車(の席)が[空]{あ}く」 is 「電車(の席)が[埋]{う}まる」.

Though, I think we use 電車が埋まる rarely.

全体(entire)  : [空]{す}く⇔[混]{こ}む
個別(individual): [空]{あ}く⇔[埋]{う}まる

And, in the case of the concept of space, 空く⇔ふさがる

駅のホームが[空]{す}いている⇔駅のホームが[混]{こ}んでいる
駅のベンチが[空]{あ}いている⇔駅のベンチが[埋]{う}まっている
駅のトイレが[空]{あ}いている⇔駅のトイレがふさがっている

 

おなかが[空]{す}く     …hungry
[空車]{くうしゃ}([空]{あ}いている[車]{くるま})…an empty car

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