Meaning

Primary

Road

Alternatives

Street, Path, Way

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.

Don't confuse this with the word 〜道, though. This one doesn't have a at the beginning, meaning it's not attached to other words. This word is just plain old road. It has its own meaning!

Reading

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

Explanation

Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun'yomi reading. When learning the kanji, you didn't learn that reading, so here's a mnemonic to help you with this word:

You're walking down the road. On the road, you bump into your friend, Mitch (みち). Imagine saying hello, then continuing down the road. What's weird is you're both walking down a paved road with cars on it. Seems dangerous, but you and Mitch, you know what you're doing.

If you don't know anyone named Mitch, think of a famous Mitch or a Mitch you've made up.

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 道をすすむ

    to advance down the street, to go forward on one’s own path

    道をえらぶ

    to choose a path

    道を歩く

    to walk down a street

Context Sentences

父は毎朝、この道でジョギングをします。

My father jogs on this street every morning.

必死に長い道を歩いて東京に来たんです。

I walked desperately down a long road and came to Tokyo.

ハリウッドには、多くの有名人の名前が入った道があります。

Hollywood has a road with many celebrity names on it.

Kanji Composition