1.
town; city streets; downtown area
The bustling, commercial part of a city or town where shops, restaurants, and people gather. Focuses on the streetscape and atmosphere rather than the administrative unit.
街に出かける。
To go out to town.
休日は街で買い物をした。
On the holiday, I went shopping downtown.
クリスマスの街はイルミネーションで美しく輝いていた。
The town was beautifully lit up with Christmas illuminations.
USAGE:
街 emphasizes the physical streetscape, commercial areas, and atmosphere of a place. It evokes images of busy streets lined with shops, restaurants, and people. Use 街 when describing going out to the lively parts of a city.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 街に出る (to go out to town)
- 街を歩く (to walk around town)
- 街並み (townscape, rows of buildings along a street)
- 街角 (street corner)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 町: town, municipality — refers to the administrative unit or a residential neighborhood, while 街 focuses on commercial streets and urban atmosphere
- 都市: city — a formal term for a large urban area
Related Words
Contrast:
町 (administrative unit)