都と道どう府ふ県けん

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Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

prefectures of Japan; Japan's 47 prefectural-level divisions

Collective term for the four types of top-level administrative divisions: 都 (Tokyo), 道 (Hokkaido), 府 (Osaka and Kyoto), and 県 (the remaining 43 prefectures). Used in official, geographical, and everyday contexts.

日本にほんの都と道どう府ふ県けんは全ぜん部ぶで47あります。
There are 47 prefectures in Japan in total.
都と道どう府ふ県けん別べつの人じん口こう統とう計けいを見みてみましょう。
Let's look at the population statistics by prefecture.

See all 33 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉都と道どう府ふ県けん(a given number of) prefectures
日本にほんには47都と道どう府ふ県けんがあります。
Japan has 47 prefectures.
都と道どう府ふ県けんごとにon a prefecture-by-prefecture basis
都と道どう府ふ県けんごとに人じん口こうが異ことなる。
Population varies from prefecture to prefecture.

Expressions

都と道どう府ふ県けん別べつby prefecture

Kanji

都metropolis, capital, all
道road-way, street, district
府borough, urban prefecture, govt office
県prefecture

Related words

府ふ県けん
都道府県 covers all forty-seven prefectures—Tokyo (都), Hokkaido (道), Osaka/Kyoto (府), and the rest (県)—while 府県 refers only to the 府 and 県 types, excluding 都 and 道.

Don't confuse with

県けんN4
県 names a single ordinary prefecture, while 都道府県 is the umbrella term covering all 47 prefectural-level units (都, 道, 府, and 県 together).
都とN4
都 refers specifically to Tokyo Metropolis, whereas 都道府県 collectively names all four types of top-level divisions including 都.
道どう
道 refers specifically to Hokkaido, whereas 都道府県 is the general term covering 道 along with the other three division types.
市し町ちょう村そん
都道府県 refers to the prefectural level (like states or provinces), while 市町村 refers to the municipal level within those prefectures, so learners often mix up which term covers which administrative tier.

Word family

Built from

都と道どう+府ふ県けん

Etymology

Compound of 都 (to, 'metropolis'), 道 (dō, 'circuit'), 府 (fu, 'urban prefecture'), and 県 (ken, 'prefecture'), collectively referring to Japan's four types of top-level administrative divisions.