道・途・路・径|みちmichi[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounroad; path; street; lane; passage
   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.
2. nounroute; way
   人生じんせいは重おもい荷にを背負せおって遠とおい道みちを行いくようなものだ。↗

   One's life is like going far with a burden on one's back.
3. noundistance; journey
4. nounroad (e.g. to victory); course
5. nounway (of living, proper conduct, etc.); moral principles
6. nounteachings (esp. Confucian or Buddhist); dogma
7. nounfield (e.g. of medicine); subject; speciality
8. nounmeans; way; method

• Synonym通り道とおりみちNeutralA road one passes through or a place on the way, as in 「通り道にある店」; unlike 「道」, it stresses passing through rather than the road itself.
• Synonym道筋みちすじNeutralThe route taken, or figuratively the logical course of something, as in 「解決への道筋」; covers lines of reasoning where 「道」 would not fit.
• Synonym道路どうろNeutralRoads as infrastructure for vehicles and pedestrians, as in 「道路工事」; somewhat formal, and narrower than 「道」, which also covers paths and ways.
• SynonymロードNeutralLoanword used mostly in compounds like 「ロードバイク」 and rarely on its own; it can also mean loading data, a sense 「道」 lacks.
• Synonym通路つうろNeutralA passage for moving through a building or facility, as in 「通路側の席」; refers to aisles and corridors, not roads in general.
• SynonymウェイNeutralLoanword for a way or road, seen mostly in set phrases like 「ハイウェイ」「マイウェイ」; can also mean a manner or method.
• SynonymコースNeutralLoanword for a route, track, or course of study or a meal, as in 「ハイキングコース」「料理コース」; fixed courses, not roads in general.
• Synonym途とWrittenA written/formal word for a road or way, appearing mostly in set phrases such as 「帰国の途につく」; for a road itself, 「道」 is the usual word.
• Related経路けいろNeutralThe route or channel one goes by, as in 「通勤経路」「感染経路」; 「道」 is the road itself, while 「経路」 focuses on the route traversed.
• RelatedルートNeutralLoanword for a route or channel, as in 「登山ルート」「販売ルート」; picks out the line taken, not the physical road.
• Related道のりみちのりNeutralThe distance to a destination or the process toward a goal, as in 「長い道のり」; foregrounds distance and process rather than the road itself.
• Related路線ろせんNeutralA bus or rail line, or figuratively a group's policy line, as in 「バス路線」「路線変更」; not a word for roads in general.
• Related軌道きどうNeutralAn orbit or railway track, and by extension being on the right track, as in 「軌道に乗る」; a specialized sense far from 「道」.
• Related進路しんろNeutralThe direction one is heading, often one's course after graduation, as in 「進路相談」; about where one is going, not the road itself.
• Related旅程りょていWrittenWritten/formal prose for a trip's itinerary and schedule, as in 「旅程を組む」; covers travel planning, not physical roads.
• Related針路しんろWrittenThe heading of a ship or aircraft, figuratively a course of action; its usage is narrower than 「道」.
• Related行路こうろWrittenWritten/formal prose for the course one travels or one's path through life, as in 「人生行路」; too literary for everyday speech.

「道」 is the default for roads and paths. Use 「道路」 for road infrastructure, 「通路」 for passages inside buildings, 「ルート」/「経路」 for routes taken, 「道のり」 for distance and process, 「進路」 for one's future course, 「路線」 for bus or rail lines, 「軌道」 for orbits and tracks, 「通り道」 for a road passed through, and 「道筋」 for a route or line of reasoning. 「ロード」「ウェイ」 live in compounds and set phrases, 「コース」 covers fixed routes and courses, while 「行路」「旅程」「針路」「途」 belong to written prose.

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

1. みち。
2. （ドウ、みち）専門せんもん化かされた高度こうどな技芸ぎげい。