Learn a Chinese Character - 街

1. Character Basics

Radical: 行/xíng (xíng radical, meaning walk, road, or movement)

Stroke Count: 12

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiē (first tone)

3. Meaning

Street; road; avenue; boulevard; block; neighborhood; row of houses; thoroughfare

4. Common Words

• 街道 (jiēdào) - street, road, avenue

  这条街道很宽。

  This street is very wide.

• 街头 (jiētóu) - street corner, street

  他在街头卖艺。

  He performs on the street.

• 逛街 (guàngjiē) - to go shopping, to stroll the streets

  周末我喜欢和朋友一起逛街。

  I like to go shopping with friends on weekends.

• 大街 (dàjiē) - main street, avenue

  国庆节时，大街上挂满了国旗。

  On National Day, the main streets are decorated with national flags.

• 街坊 (jiēfāng) - neighbors, neighborhood

  我们是老街坊了。

  We are old neighbors.

• 商业街 (shāngyèjiē) - commercial street, shopping street

  这条商业街很热闹。

  This commercial street is very busy.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 街 is primarily used as a noun with several important grammatical patterns:

• As a common noun:

  Used to refer to streets, roads, or avenues in general

  Example: 城市里有很多街。 (There are many streets in the city.)

• In proper names:

  Used in the names of specific streets

  Example: 王府井大街 (Wángfǔjǐng Dàjiē - Wangfujing Street)

• In the structure "XX街":

  Where XX is a modifier describing the type or location of the street

  Examples: 步行街 (bùxíngjiē - pedestrian street), 小吃街 (xiǎochījiē - food street)

• In the phrase "在街(上)":

  Used to indicate location on the street

  Example: 孩子们在街上玩耍。 (Children are playing on the street.)

• In compound words:

  Often combined with other characters to form words related to streets or neighborhoods

  Examples: 街道办 (jiēdàobàn - neighborhood committee), 街景 (jiējǐng - street scene)

• In idiomatic expressions:

  Used in various idioms with specific meanings

  Example: 大街小巷 (dàjiē xiǎoxiàng) - streets and alleys, everywhere

街 is an essential character for describing urban spaces and navigation in Chinese.

6. Cultural Background

The character 街 has significant cultural implications in Chinese society:

• Traditional Chinese cities are often organized around a grid of 街 (streets) and 巷 (alleys), with specific naming conventions based on location, function, or historical significance.
• Street culture (街道文化) is an important part of Chinese urban life, including street food, street performances, and community activities.
• Many Chinese festivals and celebrations, such as the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, feature street parades and decorations.
• Historically, 庙会 (miàohuì - temple fairs) were often held on or near streets around temples, becoming important social and commercial events.
• Modern Chinese cities have developed various types of specialized streets, including pedestrian streets, cultural streets, and food streets that reflect contemporary urban culture.
• The concept of 街坊 (neighborhood) is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, emphasizing community bonds and mutual support among residents living on the same street.

The character 街 thus represents not just a physical thoroughfare, but also the cultural, social, and commercial life that takes place in urban spaces throughout Chinese history and society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 街 (jiē) can be broken down into three parts:

• The left part is 彳 (chì), which is a component of the 行 radical and is related to walking or movement.
• The right part is 亍 (chù), which is also a component of the 行 radical and is related to walking or stopping.
• The middle part is 圭 (guī), which provides the pronunciation clue and originally meant "jade tablet" or "measuring instrument".

To remember this character:

1. Associate the left and right components (彳 and 亍) with the idea of walking on a road or street.
2. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the 彳 on the left, then the 圭 in the middle, and finally the 亍 on the right.
3. Connect the character to its most common use in everyday phrases like 街道 (street) or 逛街 (go shopping).
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine people walking (彳 and 亍) on both sides of a street (圭 in the middle representing the road).
5. Learn the character's cultural significance by associating it with Chinese street scenes, festivals, and community life.
6. Notice how 街 is often part of compound words related to urban spaces, and learn these compounds together to expand your vocabulary.