How to Write 街 (jiē) — Meaning “Street”

Imagine walking (彳) along a street that is lined with two piles of earth (圭), like small hills or markers. The shape of 圭 also reminds some learners of a crosswalk pattern, helping connect it to 'street'.

Write the left radical 彳 first with two strokes, then the right part 圭, which has two 'earth' components stacked vertically—each '土' is written with three strokes. A common mistake is making the lower 土 too wide; keep both sections balanced and centered.

街 means 'street' and is common in words like 逛街, while 衔 (xián) means 'to hold in mouth' or 'title' and has a different radical (金). 衖 (xiàng) is a rare variant of 巷 meaning 'alley' and is almost never used in modern Chinese; stick to 街 for streets.

街 is used for any public road in a city or town, like in 街道 (street) and 街上 (on the street). A cultural note: 逛街 (strolling the streets) is a popular leisure activity in China, especially in shopping areas or night markets, where people walk and browse without necessarily buying.

Common words containing 街 include: 街道 (jiē dào) — Street; 逛街 (guàng jiē) — To go window shopping or stroll down the street.; 街上 (jiē shàng) — On the street.