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43. Town & Building Layout

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Vocabulary

(まち) machi

town

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

このまちは静かですね。
Kono machi wa shizuka desu ne. — This town is quiet, isn't it.
私のまちに公園があります。
Watashi no machi ni kouen ga arimasu. — There is a park in my town.
小さいまちが好きです。
Chiisai machi ga suki desu. — I like small towns.
(はし) hashi

bridge

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

あの橋を渡ってください。
Ano hashi wo watatte kudasai. — Please cross that bridge.
橋の上から川が見えます。
Hashi no ue kara kawa ga miemasu. — You can see the river from on the bridge.
この橋は長いですね。
Kono hashi wa nagai desu ne. — This bridge is long, isn't it.
信号 (しんごう) shingou

traffic light; signal

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

信号が赤です。止まってください。
Shingou ga aka desu. Tomatte kudasai. — The light is red. Please stop.
あの信号を右に曲がってください。
Ano shingou wo migi ni magatte kudasai. — Please turn right at that traffic light.
信号の前で待ちます。
Shingou no mae de machimasu. — I'll wait in front of the traffic light.

Cultural Notes

Bridge vs Edge - Same Sound, Different Kanji

橋 (はし, bridge) and 端 (はし, edge) are pronounced the same way. In standard Tokyo Japanese, 橋 is said with a rising pitch and 端 with a falling pitch, but in everyday conversation, people rely on context to tell them apart. If someone says はしを渡る, it's obviously a bridge!

Why Japanese Directions Love Landmarks

When giving directions in Japan, people almost always use landmarks like 信号 (traffic lights), 角 (corners), and 橋 (bridges) instead of street names. Most streets in Japan don't even have names - so saying あの信号を右に曲がってください is the standard way to give directions.

側 Changes Pronunciation When Attached

On its own, 側 is read がわ, but it's almost always attached to another word: 右側 (みぎがわ, right side), 向こう側 (むこうがわ, other side). You'll rarely hear someone say just がわ by itself - it naturally pairs with direction words you already know like 右, 左, and こちら.