How do you use "Pavement" in a sentence?

Walk on the pavement, not the road.' (British) The pavement was icy.' (British) Cracks in the pavement.' (American = road)

Pavement

Q: What does "Pavement" mean?

The sidewalk (British); the road surface (American). British: the paved path beside the road for pedestrians. American: the road surface itself. Completely different meanings!

Slang Term BritishAmerican ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: The sidewalk (British); the road surface (American).

人行道（英式英语）；路面（美式英语）

La acera (inglés británico); la superficie de la carretera (inglés americano).

歩道（イギリス英語）；路面（アメリカ英語）

인도, 보도

British: the paved path beside the road for pedestrians. American: the road surface itself. Completely different meanings!

英式英语：道路旁供行人行走的铺装路面。美式英语：道路路面本身。意思完全不同！

En inglés británico: el camino pavimentado junto a la carretera para peatones. En inglés americano: la superficie de la carretera en sí. ¡Significados completamente diferentes!

イギリス英語では道路脇の歩行者用舗装路のこと。アメリカ英語では道路の路面自体を指す。意味が完全に異なる！

도로 옆 보행자 통행로를 뜻하는 영국식 표현. 미국에서는 'sidewalk'이라고 한다. 미국식 'pavement'는 도로 표면을 뜻하므로 주의!

Literal meaning: Paved surface

Examples

Walk on the pavement, not the road.' (British)
走人行道，别走车道。
Camina por la acera, no por la carretera.
歩道を歩いて、車道じゃなくて。
보도 위로 걸어, 차도 말고.
The pavement was icy.' (British)
人行道结冰了。
La acera estaba helada.
歩道が凍っていた。
보도가 얼어 있었다.
Cracks in the pavement.' (American = road)
路面上的裂缝。
Grietas en el asfalto.
路面のひび割れ。
도로 표면의 균열.

Pronunciation

/ˈpeɪvmənt/

Usage Guide

Context: walking, roads, pedestrians

Tone: neutral, everyday

✓ Do Say

On the pavement. (British = sidewalk)
在人行道上
en la acera
歩道の上で
인도에서.
Pavement cafe. (British)
露天咖啡馆
café en la terraza
歩道カフェ
인도.
Pavement cracks. (American = road)
路面裂缝
grietas en el asfalto
路面のひび割れ
노천 카페.

✗ Don't Say

Sidewalk (in Britain)
在英国不说「sidewalk」
En Reino Unido no se dice «sidewalk»
イギリスでは「sidewalk」とは言わない
미국에서 pavement = 차도 표면!
Road surface (in Britain)
在英国不用「road surface」的意思
En Reino Unido no se usa con el significado de «road surface»
イギリスでは「road surface」の意味では使わない
의미 차이가 위험함

Common Mistakes

COMPLETELY different meanings in British and American!
British pavement = American sidewalk

Origin & History

From paving—but applied to different surfaces in British and American English.

Etymology: English, from paved surface

First recorded: 18th century

Cultural Context

Era: 18th century to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British everyday speech; Pavement cafes

Regional notes: CAUTION: British pavement = American sidewalk. American pavement = road surface.

Variations

PavementOn the pavementPavement cafe