摩天楼(まてんろう)

まてんろう
noun
skyscraper
literarybuilding
1. skyscraper; high-rise building
A very tall building, typically in a major city. The kanji literally mean "sky-scraping tower" (摩(ま) rub/scrape + 天(てん) sky/heaven + 楼(ろう) tower). A somewhat literary or dramatic word compared to the more neutral 高層(こうそう)ビル.
ニューヨークは摩天楼(まてんろう)の街(まち)だ。
New York is a city of skyscrapers.
摩天楼(まてんろう)が立(た)ち並(なら)ぶ都会(とかい)の風景(ふうけい)に圧倒(あっとう)された。
I was overwhelmed by the urban landscape lined with skyscrapers.
夜(よる)になると摩天楼(まてんろう)の窓(まど)から無数(むすう)の光(ひかり)がこぼれ、まるで宝石箱(ほうせきばこ)のようだった。
At night, countless lights spilled from the skyscraper windows, making it look like a jewelry box.

Usage

A literary and evocative word often used in descriptions of cityscapes, travel writing, and poetry. In everyday conversation, 高層(こうそう)ビル (high-rise building) is more common. 摩天楼(まてんろう) carries a sense of grandeur and awe.

Etymology

A calque (loan translation) of the English word "skyscraper." The kanji break down as: 摩(ま) (to rub, scrape) + 天(てん) (sky, heaven) + 楼(ろう) (tower, multi-story building).

Common collocations

  • 摩天楼(まてんろう)が立(た)ち並(なら)ぶ (skyscrapers standing in a row)
  • 摩天楼(まてんろう)群(ぐん) (cluster of skyscrapers)
  • 摩天楼(まてんろう)の街(まち) (city of skyscrapers)
general
Added 2026.3.15 11:12 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
16500/16926_matenrou