地ち形けい

also: じぎょう

ち

け

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

terrain; topography; geographical features

Refers to the physical shape and features of the land, including natural and artificial forms. Used in geography, hiking, military contexts, and everyday description.

この地ち域いきの地ち形けいはとても複ふく雑ざつだ。
The terrain in this area is very complex.
地ち形けい図ずを見みながらハイキングコースを決きめた。
We decided on a hiking route while looking at a topographical map.

Written forms

地形Usage100%
- ちけい
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading ちけい is the common modern pronunciation.
- じぎょう
  Rare historical reading; learners should use ちけい in modern contexts.
じぎょう

Kanji

地ground, earth
形shape, form, style

Similar words

地ち勢せい
地勢 also means geographical features but often emphasizes the general lay of the land or natural configuration, while 地形 is more commonly used for specific landforms and topography.
地ち理り
地理 refers to geography as a field of study or the geographical characteristics of a place, including human and physical aspects, whereas 地形 focuses strictly on the physical shape of the land.

Etymology

Compound of 地 (chi, 'land, earth') and 形 (kei, 'shape, form'). The reading じぎょう is an older Sino-Japanese reading that has largely fallen out of use.