縄張り
Meanings
roping off; cordon; demarcation
The act of stretching a rope to mark a boundary or the resulting marked-off area. Often used literally for construction sites, crime scenes, or festival spaces.
The construction site is roped off with yellow tape.
The police cordoned off the crime scene.
turf; territory; domain; sphere of influence
Figurative extension: a person's or group's area of control, influence, or expertise. Common in business, politics, and gang contexts.
Don't encroach on my sales turf.
He is desperate to protect his territory.
Zoological use: the area an animal defends against others of its species.
Wolves have large territories.
Usage patterns
- 縄張りを張るto stake out / mark off one's territory
They roped off the construction site to mark out the boundary.
- 縄張りを荒らすto encroach on someone's turf
Encroaching on another gang's turf leads to serious trouble.
- 縄張りを守るto defend one's territory
This bird calls loudly to defend its territory.
- 縄張り内でwithin one's territory
Deals within the territory require permission.
- 〈動物〉が縄張りを持つan animal has/holds a territory
Male lions hold a wide territory.
- 縄張りを主張するto assert one's territorial claim
That company is asserting its turf within the industry.