町: the kanji for town and block
町 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means town, block. Below are its readings, 9 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
町 is written in 7 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
町 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 9 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
チョウ (chou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 町長ちょうちょう · chōchō | town mayor |
| 町内ちょうない · chōnai | in the neighborhood |
| 市町村しちょうそん · shichōson | municipalities |
| 町会ちょうかい · chōkai | neighborhood association |
まち (machi)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 町まち · machi | town |
| 下町したまち · shitamachi | old downtown area |
| 町中まちなか · machinaka | in town |
| 城下町じょうかまち · jōkamachi | castle town |
| 港町みなとまち · minatomachi | port town |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- この町に引っ越してきました。Kono machi ni hikkoshite kimashita.I moved to this town.
- 浅草は下町の雰囲気があります。Asakusa wa shitamachi no fun'iki ga arimasu.Asakusa has an old downtown feel.
- 町内のごみの出し方を教えてもらいました。Chōnai no gomi no dashikata o oshiete moraimashita.I was told how to put out trash in the neighborhood.
- 全国の市町村で制度が違います。Zenkoku no shichōson de seido ga chigaimasu.The system differs among municipalities across Japan.
- 週末に城下町を歩きました。Shūmatsu ni jōkamachi o arukimashita.I walked around a castle town on the weekend.
- 横浜は古い港町です。Yokohama wa furui minatomachi desu.Yokohama is an old port town.
Questions about 町
How many strokes does 町 have?
町 is written in 7 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 町?
The on readings are chou (チョウ). The kun readings are machi (まち).
Why do Tokyo addresses include 町 or 丁目?
Japanese addresses go from large to small areas: prefecture, city, then district names that often end in 町 (chō or machi), followed by 丁目 (chōme, block), block and building numbers.
What JLPT level is 町?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Places and buildings
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 町
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.