The Meaning of shūi [周囲] In Japanese

周囲
しゅうい
Romaji: shūi N3

What does 周囲 mean?

Translation and Meaning

surroundings, circumference, vicinity, around

Definition

周囲 means the area immediately around a place or person, including the physical environment and nearby people. It covers the notion of surroundings in space, the perimeter around something, and the social or contextual environment in which an event occurs.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical surroundings or vicinity of a place, including nearby objects and people
  • Perimeter or circumference in mathematical or geometric use
  • Social context or the people around a person, i.e., one’s surroundings in a social sense
  • General context or conditions surrounding a situation

Etymology

Sino-Japanese compound formed from 周 meaning around and 囲 meaning to surround; the reading is on’yomi style shū + i; used in compounds to denote the surrounding environment.

Composition

  • 周: around, circumference
  • 囲: to surround, enclosure
  • Combined meaning refers to the area or circle around something, including people and environment

Usage

Used in daily conversation to refer to the area around a place or the people nearby; in formal writing, it can denote surrounding conditions or context; typical collocations include 周囲の人々, 周囲の環境, and 周囲を取り巻く状況.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize drawing a circle 周 around a scene and imagine enclosing everything with 囲; this creates the sense of the area that is 周囲.

Variations

  • 周辺 (しゅうへん) — shūhen — vicinity
  • 環境 (かんきょう) — kankyō — environment
  • 中心 (ちゅうしん) — chūshin — center

Example Phrases

  • 周囲 の 人々へ 配慮 しつつ、 迷惑 を かけない ように 気をつける。
    Shūi no hitobito e hairyo shitsutsu, meiwaku o kakenai yō ni ki o tsukeru.
    Be considerate of the people around you and try not to cause trouble.
    Lista:
    • 周囲 (shūi) – surround; the surroundings
    • の (no) – possessive/connector particle
    • 人々へ (hitobito e) – to the people
    • 配慮 (hairyo) – consideration
    • しつつ、 (shitsutsu,) – while
    • 迷惑 (meiwaku) – trouble/inconvenience
    • を (o) – object marker
    • かけない (kakenai) – do not cause
    • ように (yō ni) – in order to / so that
    • 気をつける (ki o tsukeru) – be careful
    The word 「周囲」 means the surroundings or people nearby; used with の to form 「周囲の人々」 meaning the people around you. The construction 「しつつ」 means ‘while doing’, and 「ように気をつける」 expresses being careful not to cause trouble.
  • 会議中、彼の落ち着きは周囲を安心させた。
    Kaigi-chū, kare no ochitsuki wa shūi o anshin saseta.
    During the meeting, his composure reassured those around him.
    Lista:
    • 会議中 (kaigi-chū) – during the meeting
    • 彼の (kare no) – his
    • 落ち着き (ochitsuki) – composure
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 周囲を (shūi o) – the surrounding people
    • 安心させた (anshin saseta) – reassured
    The noun 「落ち着き」 means composure; here it is the topic marked with は, showing the steadiness of the subject: 「落ち着き」.
  • 遅刻してしまい、周囲に迷惑をかけてしまった。
    chikoku shite shimai, shūi ni meiwaku o kakete shimatta.
    I was late and ended up causing trouble for those around me.
    Lista:
    • 遅刻してしまい (chikoku shite shimai) – having been late
    • 周囲に (shūi ni) – to the surroundings
    • 迷惑をかけてしまった (meiwaku o kakete shimatta) – caused trouble
    迷惑 is a noun; with をかける it forms ‘to cause trouble for someone’ — use 「迷惑」をかける.
周囲