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縄張り (なわばり) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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いろ
い
テープ
で
縄なわ
張ば
り
が
し
て
ある
。
The construction site is roped off with yellow tape.
The police cordoned off the crime scene.
Usage patterns 縄なわ 張ば りを 張は る to stake out / mark off one's territory
They roped off the construction site to mark out the boundary.
縄なわ 張ば りを 荒あ らす to encroach on someone's turf
Encroaching on another gang's turf leads to serious trouble.
縄なわ 張ば りを 守まも る to defend one's territory
This bird calls loudly to defend its territory.
縄なわ 張ば り 内ない で within one's territory
Deals within the territory require permission.
〈 動どう 物ぶつ 〉 が 縄なわ 張ば りを 持も つ an animal has/holds a territory
Male lions hold a wide territory.
縄なわ 張ば りを 主しゅ 張ちょう する to assert one's territorial claim
That company is asserting its turf within the industry.
Kanji 張 counter for bows & stringed instruments, stretch, spread Related words· 8 テリトリー is a loanword used much like 縄張り for territory, but 縄張り carries a stronger nuance of a personally staked-out or gang-controlled space.
領域 is a formal, abstract word for a field, domain, or area, while 縄張り is concrete and implies a space someone actively claims or defends.
地盤 refers specifically to a political or business power base built up over time, whereas 縄張り is broader and can apply to gangs, animals, or literal roped-off ground.
シマ is yakuza slang for a gang's turf, a more colloquial and underworld-flavored alternative to 縄張り.
Show 4 more 縄張り is the general, neutral word for territory or turf, while 島 (as シマ) is slang used especially in criminal or underground contexts.
縄張り emphasizes an animal's defended territory, whereas 生息地 refers more broadly to the environment where it naturally lives.
縄張り is a casual, often personal or gang-related term for one's territory, while 勢力圏 is used in formal political or geopolitical contexts.
Written forms 縄なわ 張ば り Usage 63%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
なわばり Usage 26%
縄なわ 張ばり Usage 6%
Less common variant without okurigana; seen in some contexts.
ナワバリ Usage 4%
繩なわ 張ば
Etymology Compound of 縄 (nawa, 'rope') + 張り (hari, 'stretching'), from the verb 張る (haru). Originally referred to literally stretching a rope to mark a boundary, later extended to figurative territories.
縄張り is a colloquial word for one's turf or territory (often with a hint of possessiveness), while ホームグラウンド in its extended sense simply means a place where one feels comfortable and familiar.
り
Usage 1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form using the kyūjitai variant of 縄.