How to say "lane" in Japanese

• レーンCommon
  nounThe word for the marked lanes of a road — the divisions traffic travels in. Use it when driving, changing lanes, or saying how many lanes a road has.
• 路地ろじCommon
  nounThe narrow street or alleyway running between houses and buildings; its 'lane' is this urban backstreet sense. Think of a small side street in an old neighborhood rather than a country path.
  市しの北きたのはずれは路地ろじの迷路めいろである。↗

  The northernmost part of the city is a maze of alleys.
• 小道こみちCommon
  nounA small, narrow path — the kind you walk, in fields, woods, or gardens. Its 'lane' is a footpath or country-lane sense, not a street for traffic.
  私わたしたちの小道こみちは、しばしば出会であいましたね。↗

  Our paths have crossed very often.
• 道みちJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe broad, general word for a road, way, or path. It can render 'lane' in a loose, general sense, but it does not convey narrowness; for a specific lane, choose a more precise word.
  道みちは急斜面きゅうしゃめんをジグザグにのぼっていた。↗

  The path zigzagged up the steep slope.
• 小路こうじCommon
  nounDenotes a narrow street or lane, much like 路地, but as a standalone word it is perhaps most familiar from place and street names; for an alley in conversation, 路地 is the surer choice.
  その町まちには狭せまい小路こうじが多おおい。↗

  The town has many narrow lanes.

Choose 「レーン」 for the marked lanes of a road, 路地 or 小路 for narrow streets between buildings, 小道 for a small path on foot, and 道 as the all-purpose word for roads and ways.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• レーンlane (of a road)
• 路地ろじalley
• 小道こみちpath
• 道みちroad
• 小路こうじlane
• 横丁よこちょうbystreet
• アレーalley
• 小径しょうけいpath
• 区分くぶんdivision
• 区分けくわけdivision
• 通行帯つうこうたい(vehicle) lane
• 車両通行帯しゃりょうつうこうたい(car) lane
• コースlane (in running, swimming, etc.)
• 線せんline (e.g. of a railroad)