地方

ちほう

area, locality, region

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"地方" primarily means "place" or "region," referring to a physical location or area. It can also mean "aspect" or "part" when discussing abstract concepts, such as problems or topics.

Common Contexts

You will often see "地方" used to specify a location, like a meeting place or a scenic spot. It also appears in phrases discussing particular aspects of an issue, e.g., "问题地方" (the part of the problem).

Collocations and Patterns

Usage Notes

When used to indicate a physical location, "地方" is often preceded by demonstratives like "" or "." When referring to an abstract aspect, it usually appears with "" to link to the noun it modifies.

Avoid confusing "地方" with "," which is more formal and often used for specific addresses or coordinates. "地方" is more general and common in everyday speech.

Example Sentences

The scenery in this place is very beautiful.

We work in different places.

The problem lies in the lack of communication.

Please tell me where the meeting place is.

He has a lot of experience in this area.