How to Say ‘Neighbor’ in Japanese
ご近所
go kinjo
[goh keen-joh]
💬 Usage Tip: [ご近所] literally “(honorable) neighborhood,” used for “neighbors/nearby people.” The [ご] is a politeness prefix—like upgrading the vibe of the word.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese often adds polite prefixes like [ご] or [お] when speaking respectfully. Using [ご近所] can make a noise-related request sound more considerate and community-minded.
Phrase Breakdown
ご
go
[goh]
polite prefix (adds respect)
Honorific prefix used to make a noun more polite. Common in neighbor-related phrases to sound considerate.
ご近所の方には、いつでも言ってくださいと伝えました。
I told the neighbors, “Please tell me anytime.”
近所
kinjo
[keen-joh]
neighborhood; neighbors (in polite form with ご)
With ご, it becomes a more polite way to refer to the neighborhood/neighboring people (ご近所). Suitable when speaking respectfully.
ご近所なので、いつでも言ってください。
Since we’re neighbors, please tell me anytime.
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