Word Detail

The Japanese word 廊下 means "corridor," "hallway," or "passage." It refers to a long, narrow space that connects different rooms or areas within a building. It's a fundamental architectural element.

⚫︎学校の廊下 Translation: School corridor/hallway ⚫︎廊下を歩く Translation: To walk in the corridor/hallway ⚫︎長い廊下 Translation: A long corridor/hallway

⚫︎You use 廊下 to talk about the hallways in buildings such as schools, hospitals, offices, and houses. ⚫︎It's used in everyday conversation and in more formal settings. ⚫︎You can describe the action of walking in the corridor, the length of the corridor, or location.

⚫︎The word 廊下 is typically written in kanji as 廊下. ⚫︎The reading is ろうか in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana for this word.

⚫︎There aren't many perfect synonyms for 廊下. ⚫︎However, words such as 通路 (つうろ), meaning "passageway," and ホール (from "hall" in English), which can refer to a large entrance or foyer, could be used depending on context, although they have slightly different meanings.

⚫︎There isn't a direct antonym for 廊下. ⚫︎The opposite would be a room, such as 部屋 (へや), which is "room," or a specific area rather than a connecting space.

廊下で友達に会いました。 ・Translation: I met my friend in the hallway. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an encounter that happened within the corridor.

病院の廊下はいつも静かです。 ・Translation: The hallways of the hospital are always quiet. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the typical atmosphere of the hallways within a hospital.

⚫︎The kanji 廊 originally meant "eaves" or "veranda." ⚫︎The kanji 下 means "under" or "below." ⚫︎Over time, the combined meaning evolved to describe the space below the eaves of a building, or a covered passage, eventually becoming the modern word for "corridor" or "hallway."