How to say "neighborhood" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, noun (suffix), adverbThe general area around a place or point, with no particular sense of the people living there; natural for rough locations, as when saying something is 'around' a landmark.彼の家は４番街のあたりにある。↗His house is somewhere about Fourth Street.
- 近くちかくno-adjective, adverbPrimarily means 'near' or 'nearby'; it covers 'neighborhood' only in the sense of the area close to a reference point, so it is seldom the word for a residential area.
- 付近ふきんnoun, noun (suffix)The vicinity or environs around a specific spot; a typical context is locating an event or place relative to a landmark, such as where an accident occurred.
- 近所きんじょno-adjectiveThe neighborhood where you live — the residential area around your home — and by extension the people who live nearby; this is the word for 'my neighborhood' in everyday life.
- 界隈かいわいnoun, noun (suffix)The area around a place, taken together with the people or activity there; it also refers to the 'scene' or 'circles' around a shared interest, beyond purely physical areas.
For the area where you live use 近所; for the vicinity of a landmark choose between 「あたり」, 付近 and 「近く」, which really just means 'near'; 界隈 adds the feel of a local scene.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- あたり(in the) neighbourhood
- 近くちかくnear
- 付近ふきんneighborhood
- 近所きんじょneighbourhood
- 界隈かいわいneighborhood
- 町内ちょうないneighborhood
- 近隣きんりんneighbourhood
- 近辺きんぺんneighbourhood
- 町まちtown
- 隣近所となりきんじょneighbors
- 隣人りんじんneighbour
- 四辺しへんneighbourhood
- 町ちょうtown
- 近傍きんぼうneighborhood
- 近回りちかまわりtaking a shortcut
- 生活圏せいかつけんone's daily milieu
- 居住区きょじゅうくresidential area
- 居住地区きょじゅうちくresidential area
- 周りまわりsurroundings
- 四顧しこneighborhood
- 洞どうneighborhood (administrative division in North Korea)
See also
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