Meaning

Primary

Shortcut

Alternative

Short Way

Word Type

noun, verbal noun

Explanation

Taking the nearby road will get you to your destination more quickly (because it's more close by!). This is a shortcut, aka the short way.

Reading

ちかみち
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is a bit weird in this one. It uses the kun'yomi reading for both kanji, even though it looks just like it should be all on'yomi reading. It's like you're taking a shortcut with your kanji readings and doing the native Japanese readings (kun'yomi) instead of the more intellectual Chinese ones (on'yomi). Luckily, you've hopefully seen both of these kanji as vocab already. You have ちか for (short for 近い) and you have (みち), just like the word "street" you learned before. Combine these together and you have the reading for this word. Perhaps it's like this because you're combining a couple concepts together into one word, at least when it comes to "short + way."

Context

Pattern of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 近道を教える

    to tell someone about a shortcut

    近道を通る

    to pass through a shortcut

    近道をする

    to take a shortcut

Context Sentences

この道を右に曲がった方が、近道ですよ。

There's a shortcut if you turn down this road to the right.

全ての近道が、安全な道という事じゃない。

Not all shortcuts are safe roads.

近道をすると、花見の場所にすぐに行けますよ。

If you take a shortcut, you can go to the cherry blossom viewing venue quickly.

Kanji Composition