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界隈 (かいわい, kaiwai) Japanese meaning: neighborhood | Kotomora

界かい隈わい

か

い

わ

い

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun, used as a suffix

neighborhood; vicinity; area

Refers to a geographical area or the area around a particular place. Often used in news or formal contexts.

この界かい隈わいに

は

美味おい

しい

ラーメン

屋や

が

多おお

い

。

There are many good ramen shops in this neighborhood.

駅えき前まえ界かい隈わいは再さい開かい発はつが進すすんでいる。

The area around the station is undergoing redevelopment.

2

noun, noun, used as a suffix

community; scene; fandom

internet slang›

Internet slang for a group of people sharing a common interest, hobby, or fandom. Often used as a suffix, e.g., 〇〇界隈.

See also: クラスター

最さい近きん、VTuber界かい隈わいが盛もり上あがっている。
The VTuber community has been thriving lately.
そのゲームの界かい隈わいでは有ゆう名めいなプレイヤーだ。
He's a well-known player in that game's scene.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉界かい隈わいthe area around/in the vicinity of a place
新しん宿じゅく界かい隈わいにはおしゃれなカフェが多おおい。
There are many stylish cafes in the Shinjuku area.
〈事こと〉界かい隈わいthe online scene/community centered on a shared interest
声せい優ゆう界かい隈わいでその話わ題だいが広ひろがっている。
The topic is spreading within the voice actor fandom.
〈事こと〉界かい隈わいで話わ題だいになるto become a hot topic within a particular online community
このゲームが釣つり界かい隈わいで話わ題だいになっている。
This game has become a hot topic in the fishing community.

Kanji

界world, boundary
隈corner, nook, recess

Related words· 6

近きん所じょN4sense 1
近所 is the everyday word for the area right around a place (like your own house), while 界隈 is slightly more formal and often refers to a wider, livelier district.
コミュニティN1sense 2
コミュニティ is a general loanword for any community, while 界隈 in this slang sense specifically names an online fandom or niche interest group, usually as 〇〇界隈.
周しゅう辺へんN2sense 1
周辺 is a neutral, purely geographic term for the surrounding area, whereas 界隈 often carries a sense of the area's atmosphere or the people found there.
クラスター sense 2
クラスター emphasizes a cluster or grouping of people/cases, while 界隈 focuses on the shared identity and culture of a fandom or hobby community.

Show 2 more

一いっ帯たいN1sense 1
一帯 refers to a whole stretch or zone of land, while 界隈 more specifically evokes a district known for something, like shops or nightlife.
近きん辺ぺん
界隈 is a colloquial term for a district or area with its own character, while 近辺 simply denotes the area close to a point.

Word family

風ふ呂ろキャンセル界かい隈わい
people who skip bathing; bath-cancelling crowd

Written forms

界かい隈わいUsage96%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority in news and common usage.
かいわいUsage3%
界かいわいUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.

Etymology

Originally a Chinese-derived term meaning 'boundary' or 'area'. The slang sense developed online to refer to groups of people sharing a common interest, likely by metaphorical extension from 'area' to 'community'.