市
market, city, town
Readings
On'yomi
- シ
Kun'yomi
- いち
Nanori
- い
- ち
Meaning
市 centers on a place where people gather to trade and live: a market, a town, or a city. The market sense is the root idea, and the town/city meanings grow naturally from the busy marketplace at the heart of a settlement.
Most common words using 市
24 of 467- 市しN4
city
- 市いちN3
market; fair
- 都市としN3
town; city; municipal; urban
- 市場いちばN3
(town) market; (street) market; marketplace
- 市場しじょうN2
market (financial, stock, domestic, etc.); marketplace; exchange
- 市民しみんN4
citizen (of a country); citizenry
- 市長しちょうN1
mayor
- 市内しないN1
in the city; within the city
- 市販しはんN1
putting on the market; putting on sale; making commercially available
- 市立しりつN3
municipal; city
- 市役所しやくしょN5
municipal office; council; city hall
- 市町村しちょうそん
cities, towns and villages; municipalities
- 大都市だいとし
metropolis; large city
- 市街地しがいち
town area; urban area; metropolitan area; built-up area
- 市議会しぎかい
city council
- 市街しがいN1
urban areas; the streets; town; city
- 市議しぎ
city councillor; city councilor; city assemblyman
- 市営しえい
(under) municipal management (transport, housing, etc.); city facility management
- 同市どうし
same city
- 市政しせい
municipal government
- 市外しがいN1
outside the city; suburbs
- 見本市みほんいち
trade fair
- 市況しきょう
market conditions
- 市中しちゅう
in the city
Study
Etymology
市 originally depicted a marketplace with a boundary or gate, later stylized into the modern form with 亠 (lid/top) over 巾 (cloth). The cloth component may reflect the stalls or banners of a market.
Meaning mnemonic
The top lid 亠 covers a cloth 巾, like a market stall with a canopy over the goods. Picture a busy marketplace under that canopy, which grows into a town or city.
Reading mnemonic
For シ, imagine a bustling market where everyone is saying 'See! See!' as they point at the goods: 'See' -> シ, and the market is full of sights.