1.
narrow path; narrow road; narrow lane
A path or road that is narrow. Can refer to physical narrow paths in nature or between buildings, as well as appearing in literary and cultural contexts.
細道を歩く。
To walk along a narrow path.
家と家の間の細道を抜ける。
To pass through the narrow lane between houses.
山の中の細道をたどっていくと、小さな神社が見えた。
Following the narrow path through the mountains, a small shrine came into view.
A compound of 細い (narrow/thin) + 道 (path/road).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 細道を通る: to go through a narrow path
- 細道を抜ける: to pass through a narrow lane
- 細道に入る: to enter a narrow path
CULTURAL NOTE:
Famously appears in the title of Matsuo Basho's travel journal 奥の細道 (The Narrow Road to the Interior, 1689), one of the most celebrated works of Japanese literature.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 小道: small path — a diminutive, charming path; more literary
- 路地: alley, back lane — typically an urban narrow passage between buildings
- 裏道: back road — a road behind main streets, used as a shortcut