町
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
town, district |
| Strokes |
7 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
チョウ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
まち |
| Radical |
田 (た - rice field) [U+7530] |
Stroke Order
The character 町 follows the standard rule of writing from top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The left vertical line of the "rice field" (田) component.
- Stroke 2: The top horizontal line, turning down to form the right side of the top box.
- Stroke 3: The horizontal line across the middle.
- Stroke 4: The horizontal line at the bottom of the box.
- Stroke 5: The vertical line of the "street/nail" (丁) component.
- Stroke 6: The horizontal line of the "street/nail" (丁) component.
- Stroke 7: The final hook (hane) at the end of the horizontal line.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 町 is a phono-semantic compound.
- Radical (部首): 田 (た - rice field). This radical often relates to land, agriculture, or boundaries.
- Component: 丁 (チョウ - street, block, or "nail"). In this context, 丁 provides the sound (phonetic) and the meaning of a "block" or "section."
- Combined Meaning: The combination of "rice fields" (田) and "a block/section" (丁) creates the image of a town or district divided into organized plots of land.
Mnemonic
Imagine a rice field (田) that has been divided into a neat, organized street (丁) grid. This is the layout of a small town (町).
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
チョウ (chō)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 町長 |
ちょうちょう |
chōchō |
town mayor |
| 下町 |
したまち |
shitamachi |
downtown / old town |
| 町内 |
ちょうない |
chōnai |
neighborhood |
| 町人 |
ちょうにん |
chōnin |
townspeople (historical) |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
まち (machi)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 町 |
まち |
machi |
town |
| 町並み |
まちなみ |
machinami |
row of houses / streetscape |
JLPT N5 Words Using 町
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 町 |
まち |
machi |
town |
N5 |
| 町長 |
ちょうちょう |
chōchō |
town mayor |
N3 |
| 町内 |
ちょうない |
chōnai |
neighborhood |
N3 |
| 下町 |
したまち |
shitamachi |
downtown |
N2 |
| 町並み |
まちなみ |
machinami |
streetscape |
N2 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| この町はとても静かです。 |
このまち は とても しずか です。 |
Kono machi wa totemo shizuka desu. |
This town is very quiet. |
| 彼は町長に会いました。 |
かれ は ちょうちょう に あいました。 |
Kare wa chōchō ni aimashita. |
He met the town mayor. |
| 町内を散歩します。 |
ちょうない を さんぽ します。 |
Chōnai o sanpo shimasu. |
I will take a walk around the neighborhood. |
| 昔の町並みが残っています。 |
むかし の まちなみ が のこって います。 |
Mukashi no machinami ga nokotte imasu. |
The old townscape remains. |
| 週末は町へ出かけます。 |
しゅうまつ は まち へ でかけます。 |
Shūmatsu wa machi e dekakemasu. |
I will go out to town this weekend. |
| 彼は下町で育ちました。 |
かれ は したまち で そだちました。 |
Kare wa shitamachi de sodachimashita. |
He grew up in the downtown area. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 町 |
まち |
town |
Uses the 田 (rice field) radical. |
| 村 |
むら |
village |
Uses the 木 (tree) radical. A village is smaller than a town. |
| 釘 |
くぎ |
nail |
Uses the 金 (metal) radical. It shares the 丁 component but refers to a metal nail. |
Usage Frequency Note
町 is a high-frequency kanji used daily in addresses, news, and casual conversation. It is the standard term for a "town" or "neighborhood." While "city" is usually expressed as 市 (し - shi), 町 (まち - machi) is used for smaller administrative districts or general urban areas. It is essential for navigating Japanese geography and daily life.