How to say "path" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 道みちnounThe general word for a road, street, or path — the way itself that people walk or travel along. For an ordinary path or road, this is the word you will usually want.
- nounThe route taken from start to finish — which roads, trains, or lines you use to get there. The natural choice in travel planning and directions, as when asking for the fastest route to a destination.
- 道筋みちすじnounThe line or course something follows — the course of a road, an itinerary, or figuratively the way forward in a plan or discussion. Not the word for a trail you actually walk.
- 小道こみちnounA small, narrow path or lane — the kind you find in a garden, the woods, or between houses. Use it when the path is literally little, not for roads or routes in general.
- 経路けいろnounThe course or route along which something travels, spreads, or is passed on — how you get from A to B, or how something moves through a system. Typical of planning, navigation, and explanation.
Use 道 for a road or path in general, 小道 for a small lane or trail, 「ルート」 for a travel route, 経路 for the course something travels or spreads along, and 道筋 for the way forward in a plan.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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