How to Say "Pavement" in Japanese

舗装

hosō[ho̞so̞ː]

The English word 'pavement' can be translated into Japanese as 舗装 (hosō).

舗装 refers to the surface of a road.

Meaning: surface of road (noun)

Which one should you use?

If you are referring specifically to a pedestrian pavement or sidewalk, the formal term is 歩道. If you mean a paved road, the formal term is 舗装道路.

hosō

The kanji 舗 in 舗装 originally referred to a cloth shop. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'spreading out cloth' to 'spreading a surface' over a road.
While 舗装 refers to the paving, Japanese city streets often feature 点字ブロック 'tenji burokku', which are tactile paving blocks with raised studs to guide visually impaired pedestrians.
Despite the formal term 舗装, you will often see 'pavement' mentioned in Japanese urban planning as アスファルト 'asphalt'. The loanword is frequently used as a generic term for the pavement surface itself.

温かい日差しの中、歩道を歩くのは気持ちがいいですね。
Walking on the pavement under warm sunshine feels great, doesn't it?
この道の舗装はとても綺麗ですね。
Kono michi no hōsō wa totemo kirei desu ne.
The pavement of this road is very beautiful, isn't it?
雨で舗装が滑りやすくなっています。
Ame de hōsō ga suberiyasuku natte imasu.
The pavement has become slippery due to the rain.
新しい舗装が必要な道路です。
Atarashii hōsō ga hitsuyō na dōro desu.
This is a road that needs new pavement.

Two people are walking along a street in a residential area.

大翔 Hiroto

この辺りの舗装はいつも新しいですね。
Kono atari no hōsō wa itsumo atarashii desu ne.
The pavement around here is always new, isn't it?
結衣 Yui

そうですね、歩きやすいです。
Sō desu ne, arukiyasui desu.
It is, it's easy to walk on.
大翔 Hiroto

結衣さんは、この道が好きですか？
Yui-san wa, kono michi ga suki desu ka?
Yui, do you like this road?
結衣 Yui

はい、とても快適ですよ。
Hai, totemo kaiteki desu yo.
Yes, it is very comfortable.

Sources

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