街 (jiē) - Street — a public road in a city & also refers to a commercial district or marketplace.

街Tone 1

jiē ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

街 · jiē

Street — a public road in a city or town, typically with buildings on both sides;

also refers to a commercial district or marketplace.

Street — a public road in a cityalso refers to a commercial district or marketplace.

Usage highlights

StreetMain streetStreet cornerStreet lampShopping streetAlley

Synonyms

  • 道— road, way (broader term)
  • 路— road, path (general term)

Antonyms

  • 巷— alley, lane (narrow passage)
  • 弄— lane, alley (even narrower than 巷)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I walked down the main street (大街).
  • There are many shops on this street (街道).
  • The night market street is very lively (夜市街).
  • This is a pedestrian street (步行街).

Collocations

  • Street(街道)
  • Main street(大街)
  • Street corner(街角)
  • Street lamp(街灯)
  • Shopping street(商业街)
  • Alley(街巷)

Idioms

  • Street gossip and alley talk(街谈巷议)
  • Overflowing streets and blocked alleys(街巷堵塞)
  • Cross streets and alleys(十字街头)
  • Street-side willow, roadside flower(街柳庭花)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, Chinese streets were organized according to the 'fang-li' system with walled residential quarters and commercial streets.
  • Traditional Chinese streets often featured specialized markets (e.g., Silk Street, Tea Street) organized by trade.
  • Street culture remains vibrant in China with night markets, street food, and public gatherings.

FAQ