Translation and Meaning of: 町 - machi

The Japanese word 「町」 (machi) is commonly used to refer to a small urban area, usually translated as "town" or "neighborhood." Most of the time, it denotes an area that is more specific than the word 「市」 (shi), which means a larger city. The concept of 「町」 is more associated with a local community with its traditions, businesses, and residences, forming a valuable socioeconomic entity in the Japanese context.

The etymology of 「町」 goes back to Chinese characters, where the ideogram originally represented a collection of organized houses, symbolizing the notion of a residential community. The kanji 「町」 is composed of two main elements: 「田」 (ta), which represents field or rice paddy, and 「丁」 (chou), a symbol that suggests arrangement or counting, such as in blocks or subdivisions. This reflects how many traditional villages were organized around agricultural fields.

The notion of 「町」 has evolved considerably over the years, especially with urban growth in Japan. In large cities, 「町」 can indicate not only residential neighborhoods but also vibrant commercial areas filled with shops, restaurants, and markets. Despite the changes, the essence of 「町」 as a place for social and economic gatherings remains, making it an integral part of the cultural identity of Japanese communities. This word is not just a geographical term but also carries a sense of belonging and identity for its inhabitants, being used in various stories, maps, and travel guides to describe its unique characteristics.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 街 (machi) - City; Neighborhood
• 都市 (toshi) - City; Urban area
• 都会 (tokai) - Great city; Metropolitan area
• 都心 (toshin) - City center
• 市街 (shigai) - Urban area; City center
• 市街地 (shigaichi) - Urban area; Central region
• 都市部 (toshibu) - Urban area; City region
• 都市圏 (toshiken) - Metropolitan area; Metropolitan region
• 都会圏 (tokai-ken) - Urban area; Urban region
• 中心部 (chuushinbu) - Central part; Center
• 市内 (shinai) - Inside the city
• 市街地区 (shigaichiku) - Urban area; Central region of the city
• 市域 (shii-iki) - Municipal jurisdiction

町

Romaji: machi
Kana: まち
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3, jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: city; road; road

Meaning in English: town;street;road

Definition: An area where villages and citizens live.

Example Sentences - (町) machi

See below some example sentences:

淡水は台湾の北部にある美しい港町です。

Dansui wa Taiwan no hokubu ni aru utsukushii koumachi desu

Danshui is a beautiful port city located in the northern part of Taiwan.

Tamami is a beautiful port city in the northern part of Taiwan.

• 淡水 - Name of the city of Tamsui
• は - Topic particle
• 台湾 - Taiwan
• の - Possessive particle
• 北部 - Region norte
• に - Location particle
• ある - Verb "to be" in the present
• 美しい - Adjective "beautiful"
• 港町 - harbor
• です - Verb "to be" in the present

気風が良い町は暮らしやすいです。

Kifū ga yoi machi wa kurashi yasui desu

A city with a good atmosphere is easy to live in.

A city with good air is easy to live in.

• 気風 - atmosphere, climate
• が - subject particle
• 良い - good, pleasant
• 町 - city, town
• は - Topic particle
• 暮らし - life, way of life
• やすい - easy, convenient
• です - Verb "to be" in the present tense

この町にはたくさんの名所があります。

Kono machi ni wa takusan no meisho ga arimasu

There are many famous places in this city.

There are many famous places in this city.

• この町には - "In this city"
• たくさんの - "Muitos"
• 名所 - "Tourist attractions"
• が - Subject particle
• あります - "There are"

この町はとても静かです。

Kono machi wa totemo shizuka desu

This city is very quiet.

This city is very quiet.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this"
• 町 - noun meaning "city"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• とても - adverb meaning "very"
• 静か - adjective meaning "silent, tranquil"
• です - linking verb that indicates the state or quality of the subject

「この町には多くの文化財があります。」

Kono machi ni wa ooku no bunkazai ga arimasu

There are many cultural properties in this city.

• この - demonstrative pronoun, meaning "this one" or "this one here"
• 町 - noun, means "city"
• には - particle indicating the existence of something in a specific place, followed by the particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 多く - adverb, means "many"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 文化財 - compound noun, means "cultural heritage"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• あります - verb, means "to exist"

この町は栄える未来を持っています。

Kono machi wa sakae ru mirai wo motte imasu

This city has a prosperous future.

• この町 - this city
• は - Topic particle
• 栄える - Prosperar, florescer
• 未来 - future
• を - direct object particle
• 持っています - Land, possess

下町の風情が好きです。

Shitamachi no fuzei ga suki desu

I like the atmosphere of the old neighborhood.

I like the atmosphere of the city center.

• 下町 - working-class neighborhood
• の - Possession particle
• 風情 - atmosphere, environment
• が - subject particle
• 好き - like
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

古い建物がたくさんある町に住んでいます。

Furui tatemono ga takusan aru machi ni sunde imasu

I live in a city with many old buildings.

I live in a city with many old buildings.

• 古い - old
• 建物 - buildings
• が - subject particle
• たくさん - many
• ある - there are
• 町 - city
• に - Location particle
• 住んでいます - I live

町を転転と歩く。

Machi wo tenten to aruku

Transfer and walk around the city.

• 町 - means "city" in Japanese.
• を - is an object particle in Japanese, indicating that "city" is the object of the action.
• 転転 - is a Japanese onomatopoeia meaning "to walk with large, heavy steps".
• と - is a connecting particle in Japanese, indicating that "walk" is made with the sound "転転".
• 歩く - means "to walk" in Japanese.

私の郷里は美しい町です。

Watashi no kyōri wa utsukushii machi desu

My hometown is a beautiful city.

My hometown is a beautiful city.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の - particle indicating possession, equivalent to "mine"
• 郷里 - noun that means "homeland"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, equivalent to "about"
• 美しい - Adjective that means "beautiful"
• 町 - noun meaning "city"
• です - verb that indicates to be or to exist, equivalent to "is"