Meaning
郊 means suburbs or outskirts — the land just beyond a city's boundary, where dense neighborhoods thin out into commuter towns, farmland, and open roads. It captures that in-between zone: not quite city, not quite countryside.
The character breaks into two parts. On the left, 交 (kō) means "to cross" or "to mix." On the right, ⻏ (おおざと) is the village radical, a simplified form of 邑 (settlement, town). Put them together: a town (⻏) where paths cross and things mix (交) — the edge where urban life meets the open land beyond.
郊 is a Joyo kanji (常用漢字) assigned to grade 8, written in 9 strokes. It turns up regularly in newspapers, maps, real-estate listings, and commuting contexts — all familiar territory in everyday Japanese life.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
郊 has one on'yomi: コウ (kō). It appears almost exclusively in compound words (熟語, jukugo) — you will rarely see 郊 standing alone. All key vocabulary built on this kanji uses the コウ reading.
- 郊外 (kōgai) — suburbs, outskirts (the most common compound)
- 近郊 (kinkō) — nearby suburbs, the commuter belt around a city
- 遠郊 (enkō) — distant suburbs, outer peripheral zones
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
郊 has no kun'yomi. Ancient Japanese had no native word for suburbs as an administrative concept, so the Chinese compound forms were adopted directly. In practice, 郊 only ever appears in compounds using the on'yomi コウ. Learn the compounds — standalone usage does not exist.
Common Words & Compounds
These compounds cover the main contexts where 郊 appears. Learn them and you will handle most real-world usage.
Core Geographic Terms
- 郊外 (kōgai) — suburbs, outskirts of a city; the single most important compound using this kanji
- 近郊 (kinkō) — nearby suburbs, the commuter belt immediately surrounding a city
- 遠郊 (enkō) — distant suburbs, outer peripheral zones
- 郊野 (kōya) — suburban fields, open countryside on the outskirts
Compounds with City References
- 市郊 (shikō) — city outskirts (formal/literary usage)
- 郊外住宅 (kōgai jūtaku) — suburban housing, homes in the suburbs
- 郊外電車 (kōgai densha) — suburban railway, commuter train serving the outskirts
- 郊外店 (kōgai-ten) — suburban store, a shop outside the city center
Descriptive and Contextual Phrases
- 郊外型 (kōgai-gata) — suburban-type (e.g., a large shopping mall built for car-based access)
- 郊外地区 (kōgai chiku) — suburban district or zone
- 東京近郊 (Tōkyō kinkō) — the Tokyo suburban area; seen constantly in real estate and commuting contexts
Example Sentences
彼女は東京の郊外に住んでいます。
Kanojo wa Tōkyō no kōgai ni sunde imasu.
She lives in the suburbs of Tokyo.
近郊の農家から新鮮な野菜を買っています。
Kinkō no nōka kara shinsen na yasai wo katte imasu.
I buy fresh vegetables from farms in the nearby suburbs.
郊外は都心より土地の値段が安い。
Kōgai wa toshin yori tochi no nedan ga yasui.
Land prices in the suburbs are lower than in the city center.
家族のために郊外に広い家を建てることにした。
Kazoku no tame ni kōgai ni hiroi ie wo tateru koto ni shita.
We decided to build a spacious house in the suburbs for the family.
毎朝、郊外から電車で通勤するのは大変だ。
Mai asa, kōgai kara densha de tsūkin suru no wa taihen da.
Commuting every morning by train from the suburbs is exhausting.
この郊外型ショッピングモールには大型駐車場がある。
Kono kōgai-gata shoppingu mōru ni wa ōgata chūshajō ga aru.
This suburban-style shopping mall has a large parking lot.
東京近郊の自然は、週末のハイキングに最適だ。
Tōkyō kinkō no shizen wa, shūmatsu no haikingu ni saiteki da.
The nature around the Tokyo suburbs is perfect for weekend hiking.
郊外の静かな環境で子供を育てたい。
Kōgai no shizuka na kankyō de kodomo wo sodatetai.
I want to raise my children in the quiet environment of the suburbs.
近郊の観光地を日帰りで巡るツアーが人気だ。
Kinkō no kankōchi wo higaeri de meguru tsuā ga ninki da.
Day-trip tours visiting tourist spots in the nearby suburbs are popular.
Memory Tip
Break 郊 into its two parts and build a scene. The left side is 交 — "crossing" or "mixing," the same character in 交差点 (intersection). The right side is ⻏, the village/town radical. Picture yourself at a crossroads (交) on the edge of a village (⻏), where city streets meet country roads. That boundary crossing point is exactly what 郊 means. See the crossroads, think suburbs.