都市
toshi[to̞ɕi]
The Japanese word for "cities" is 都市 (toshi).
都市 is used to refer to a city in a formal, administrative or geographical sense.
Which one should you use?
While 都市 refers to a city in a formal, administrative or geographical sense, 街 is often used to refer to a city or town in a more casual, everyday sense, often implying the atmosphere or the streets of the area.
How do you pronounce it?
toshi
Did you know?
- The kanji for 都市 (toshi) is composed of two characters: 都 meaning 'capital' and 市 meaning 'market'. This reveals an ancient view of a city as a central place for the exchange of goods.
- In Japanese literature, the word 都 (miyako) was historically used to refer specifically to the imperial capital, such as Kyoto. It carries a much more poetic and historical weight than the modern, administrative 都市.
- When Japanese people talk about a 'big city' or 'the metropolis', they often use the word 都会 (tokai) instead of 都市 (toshi). 都会 carries a connotation of being modern, bustling, and perhaps a bit overwhelming compared to the countryside.
Examples in context
- 大都市は嫌いです。I dislike big cities.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for big cities.Tatoeba #137375 by KK_kaku_, translation #275861 by CK
- 大都市には多くの娯楽があります。Big cities have lots of amusements.This sentence is useful for describing the amusements found in big cities.Tatoeba #137379 by tommy__san, translation #275857 by Dejo
- 京都とボストンは姉妹都市である。Kyoto and Boston are sister cities.This sentence is useful for stating that two cities are sister cities.Tatoeba #2698369 by tommy_san, translation #2698592 by WestofEden
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel preferences in a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui世界の多くの都市を旅行したいです。Sekai no ooku no toshi o ryokou shitai desu.I want to travel to many cities in the world.
- 蓮 Renどの都市が一番好きですか？Dono toshi ga ichiban suki desu ka?Which city do you like the most?
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんは、どの都市が気になりますか？Ren-san wa, dono toshi ga ki ni narimasu ka?Ren, which cities are you interested in?
- 蓮 Ren僕は、歴史がある都市に行きたいです。Boku wa, rekishi ga aru toshi ni ikitai desu.I want to go to cities that have history.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 都市, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
