廊下
rōka[ɾo̞ːka̠]
The English word hallway is translated into Japanese as 廊下 (rōka).
廊下 is a noun used to refer to a hallway or corridor. You can use it to describe specific locations, such as 教室の廊下 (classroom hallway), 病院の廊下 (hospital hallway), マンションの廊下 (apartment hallway) or オフィスの廊下 (office hallway).
Meaning: corridor (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 廊下 is the standard term for a hallway, you may encounter other words for similar structures. For example, 回廊 means corridor and 通路 means passageway.
How do you pronounce it?
rōka
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese palaces, certain 廊下 were designed to be intentionally unstable or 'nightingale floors' (鶯張り), which chirp when stepped upon to alert guards to intruders.
- While 廊下 refers to the space, the act of cleaning the 廊下 is a standard part of the daily duties for students in Japanese schools, rather than being handled solely by janitors.
- Traditional Japanese architecture features a specific type of 廊下 called 縁側 ('engawa'), which is a wooden veranda that functions as both a hallway and a porch between the inside and outside of the house.
Examples in context
- トイレは廊下の左側にあります。The bathroom is on the left side of the hallway.This sentence is useful for describing the location of a bathroom relative to the left side of the 廊下.Tatoeba #10984811 by small_snow, translation #11570661 by LimeGreenTeknii
- 野郎が二人、廊下でキスしてたよ。I saw two guys kissing each other in the hallway.This sentence describes an observation of two people in a 廊下.Tatoeba #11009608 by small_snow, translation #2718072 by Hybrid
- お手洗いは、廊下の突き当たりにございます。The bathroom is at the end of the hallway.This sentence is useful for pointing out that a bathroom is at the end of a 廊下.Tatoeba #13028921 by small_snow, translation #12070015 by ddnktr
- 今、学校の廊下にいます。I'm currently in the school hallway.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student is asking a classmate about where a classroom is located.
- 美咲 Misakiこの廊下の先に教室はありますか？Kono rouka no saki ni kyoushitsu wa arimasu ka?Is there a classroom at the end of this hallway?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、廊下をまっすぐ行ったところにありますよ。Hai, rouka o massugu itta tokoro ni arimasu yo.Yes, it is located straight down the hallway.
- 美咲 Misakiわかりました。ありがとうございます。Wakarimashita. Arigatou gozaimasu.I understand. Thank you very much.
- 陽太 Yotaいえいえ、お気をつけて。Iie iie, oki o tsukete.No problem, take care.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 廊下, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
