Japanese word

寄り道

Pronunciation

Romajiyorimichi

Meaning

  • nounstop off

Example

学校の帰りに本屋へ寄り道します。gak kō no kae ri ni hon ya e yo ri michi shi ma su

I stop off at the bookstore on my way home from school.

Illustration for 寄り道 (stop off)

More examples

雨が降ってきたので、今日は寄り道をしないで帰ります。ame ga fu tte ki ta no de kyō wa yo ri michi o shi na i de kae ri ma su

Since it has started raining, I will go straight home today without stopping off.

Core concept

Describes leaving a direct route to pause at another place before reaching the destination.

Common phrases

  • 寄り道をするyo ri michi o su ru

    stop off

Similar words

道草michikusa: A stop made along the way, often for pleasure or without a fixed plan.
立ち寄りtachiyori: A brief visit to a place during a journey or while going somewhere else.
回り道mawarimichi: A route that takes a traveler away from the shortest or most direct way to a destination.

Definition in Japanese

目的地へ向かう途中で、直接そこへ行かずに別の場所へ立ち寄ること。moku teki chi e mu ka u to chū de choku setsu so ko e i ka zu ni betsu no ba sho e ta chi yo ru ko to

Word origin

The noun 寄り道 (yorimichi) combines the continuative form of 寄る (yoru, "to stop by or draw near") with 道 (michi, "road or way").

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, 寄り道 (yorimichi) can describe a planned stop as well as an unplanned one, so it does not necessarily suggest that the traveler is lost.

Other meanings

  • detournoun
  • side tripnoun

Opposites

  • 近道chikamichishortcutnoun

Word lists with this word