周まわり

ま

わ

り

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

noun

circumference; girth

Refers to the distance around something, such as a tree trunk, waist, or circular object.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉の周まわりを回まわるto go around something
犬いぬが木きの周まわりを回まわっている。
The dog is going around the tree.
周まわりの人ひとthe people around one
周まわりの人ひとに迷めい惑わくをかけないようにしましょう。
Let's try not to bother the people around us.
〈場ば所しょ〉の周まわりthe area around a place
駅えきの周まわりにはコンビニがたくさんある。
There are many convenience stores around the station.
〈数すう〉センチの周まわりa circumference of ... centimeters
このウエストは周まわりが70センチだ。
This waist has a circumference of 70 centimeters.
周まわりを見み渡わたすto look around at one's surroundings
周まわりを見み渡わたしても誰だれもいなかった。
Even looking around, there was no one there.

Expressions

周まわりの目めhow others see you; what others think of you

Kanji

周circumference, circuit, lap

Related words

周しゅう囲いN3sense 2
周囲 is a more formal, written word for the area around something, while 周り is the everyday word used in the same sense.
近きん所じょN4sense 2
近所 specifically means one's neighborhood or nearby houses, while 周り is broader and can mean any surrounding area or people.
近きん辺ぺん sense 2
近辺 is a slightly formal word for the vicinity of a place, whereas 周り is the common, casual equivalent.
ぐるりN1
周り is the everyday word for 'surroundings' or 'area around', while ぐるり is a more literary or emphatic word for the same idea, often implying a full circuit around something.
周しゅう辺へんN2
周り is the everyday, colloquial word for what's around something, whereas 周辺 is more formal and typical of written or technical language.

Opposites

中ちゅう心しんN3sense 2
中心 means the center of something, the opposite of 周り, which refers to the area surrounding it.

Don't confuse with

回まわりN3
回り shares the same reading as 周り but refers to rotation or making rounds (as in 一回り), whereas 周り means the surrounding area or people.

Written forms

周まわりUsage55%
Standard kanji spelling for surroundings, circumference, and people around one. Note the cross-reference to 回り for rotational uses.
まわりUsage45%

Etymology

Derived from the verb 回る (まわる, 'to go around'), with the nominalized form 回り/周り. The kanji 周 is used for spatial surroundings and circumference, while 回 is used for rotational and circulatory meanings.