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Kanji 街: meanings, readings, and example words.

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Kanji 街: boulevard, street, town

Key takeaways

Kanji 街: boulevard, street, town. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

街
N1

Meaning

boulevardstreettown

On reading

ガイカイ

Kun reading

まち

Radical

行

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 街

boulevard, street, town

Kanji structure breakdown

街

Structure breakdown

行 + 圭

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

This character places the 'jade scepter' (圭, which looks like stacked earth) inside the radical for 'go' or 'path' (行). It represents a bustling street or town built by leveling the earth (土) where people frequently travel (行). It is used in words like 'roadside tree' (街路樹) or 'shopping district' (商家).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ガイ
  • 街道かいどう

    highway / main road

  • 街がい

    street / neighborhood / district

  • 街頭がいとう

    street / on the street

  • 市街しがい

    urban area / city streets

Kun reading

まち
  • 街角まちかど

    street corner

  • 街まち

    town / street / neighborhood

Commonly used words

  • 街道
    かいどう

    highway / main road

  • 街
    がい

    street / neighborhood / district

  • 街頭
    がいとう

    street / on the street

  • 市街
    しがい

    urban area / city streets

  • 街角
    まちかど

    street corner

  • 街
    まち

    town / street / neighborhood

Example sentences

Example 1

昔の街道を歩いてみた。

Translation

I tried walking on an old highway.

Example 2

この街道は交通が便利だ。

Translation

This highway is convenient for transportation.

Example 3

この街には古いお店が多いです。

Translation

There are many old shops in this street.

Example 4

夜の街はとてもにぎやかです。

Translation

The nightlife district is very lively.

Kanji 街: boulevard, street, town | Daily Nihongo