Chinese word

街

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiē

Meaning

  • nounstreet

Example

这条街很热闹。zhè tiáo jiē hěn rè nào

This street is very lively.

Illustration for 街 (street)

More examples

我家旁边有一条热闹的街。wǒ jiā páng biān yǒu yì tiáo rè nào de jiē

There is a lively street next to my home.

Core concept

A public route through a built-up area, with nearby shops and homes forming a local urban area.

Common phrases

  • 这条街zhè tiáo jiē

    this street

  • 在街上zài jiē shàng

    on the street

  • 附近的街fù jìn de jiē

    nearby street

Similar words

路lù: A route that connects places and carries people or vehicles.
马路mǎ lù: A wide paved road where many cars pass.

Definition in Chinese

城市中两旁常有房屋或商店，供行人和车辆通行的道路。chéng shì zhōng liǎng páng cháng yǒu fáng wū huò shāng diàn gōng xíng rén hé chē liàng tōng xíng de dào lù

Word origin

街 (jiē, "street") is formed from 行 (xíng, "to go") for the idea of a route and 圭 (guī, "jade tablet") mainly for its sound.

Usage tips

  • In Chinese, 街 (jiē, "street") can name the whole local shopping area as well as the road through it, so a shopping street is treated as one place.

Other meanings

  • townnoun
  • shopping streetnoun
  • blocknoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word