In the Street in Chinese 街上
jiēshang
Street in Chinese is 街道 (jiē dào).
Also searched for as: street, road, traffic lights, crossing.
What do you pass on the way? 15 essential in the street words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
街上 (jiē shang) means 'in the street', and these words cover the things you pass every day, from the 人行道 (rén xíng dào), pavement, to the 红绿灯 (hóng lǜ dēng), traffic lights, literally 'red green lights'. They're essential for following directions and for crossing the road, 过马路 (guò mǎ lù), safely in busy Chinese cities.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 街 | jiē | street |
| 马路 | mǎ lù | road |
| 人行道 | rén xíng dào | pavement |
| 斑马线 | bān mǎ xiàn | zebra crossing |
| 红绿灯 | hóng lǜ dēng | traffic lights |
| 路灯 | lù dēng | street light |
| 公交站 | gōng jiāo zhàn | bus stop |
| 广告牌 | guǎng gào pái | billboard |
| 垃圾桶 | lā jī tǒng | bin |
| 行人 | xíng rén | pedestrian |
| 堵车 | dǔ chē | traffic jam |
| 大楼 | dà lóu | tall building |
| 小巷 | xiǎo xiàng | alley; lane |
| 十字路口 | shí zì lù kǒu | crossroads |
| 天桥 | tiān qiáo | footbridge |
Usage tips
- 马路 (mǎ lù), literally 'horse road', is the everyday word for a road with traffic, while 街 (jiē) suggests a street lined with shops and people.
- 斑马线 (bān mǎ xiàn), zebra crossing, uses the same image as English, literally 'zebra lines'.
- In mainland China vehicles can usually turn right on a red light, so check for turning traffic even when the green man is showing.
Common mistakes
- Saying 在街 for 'in the street'; Chinese needs 上 (shàng), as in 街上 (jiē shang), because a street is treated as a surface, not a container.
- Reading 行 as háng in 行人 and 人行道; here it's xíng, as in 行人 (xíng rén), pedestrian, whereas háng is the reading in 银行 (yín háng), bank.
Mini dialogue
- A公交站在哪儿？Gōng jiāo zhàn zài nǎr?Where's the bus stop?
- B过马路就是，在大楼前面。Guò mǎ lù jiù shì, zài dà lóu qián miàn.Just across the road, in front of the tall building.
- A这里没有斑马线啊。Zhè lǐ méi yǒu bān mǎ xiàn a.There's no zebra crossing here, though.
- B前面有天桥，走天桥吧。Qián miàn yǒu tiān qiáo, zǒu tiān qiáo ba.There's a footbridge ahead, let's use that.
Example sentences
- 这条街很热闹。This street is very lively.
- 过马路要看车。Watch for cars when crossing the road.
- 请走人行道。Please walk on the pavement.
- 从斑马线过马路。Cross at the zebra crossing.
- 红灯停，绿灯行。Stop on red, go on green.
- 晚上路灯都亮了。The street lights are all on at night.
- 公交站就在前面。The bus stop is just ahead.
- 街上有很多广告牌。There are lots of billboards on the street.
- 把瓶子扔进垃圾桶。Put the bottle in the bin.
- 行人要走人行道。Pedestrians should use the pavement.
- 下班的时候总是堵车。There's always traffic at rush hour.
- 这座大楼有五十层。This building has fifty floors.
- 他住在一条小巷里。He lives down a little alley.
- 在十字路口往右拐。Turn right at the crossroads.
- 走天桥过马路。Use the footbridge to cross the road.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The In the street speaking island has 8 everyday questions about in the street to prepare your own answers to.