舗装

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 舗装 is a noun read ほそう; 舗装する describes covering a road or ground surface with a firm material.
• Basic usage: Mark the surface being worked on with を, as in 道路を舗装する, and describe the finished state with 舗装されている.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Noun and する form
  • Use 舗装 for the paving work or pavement itself and 舗装する to state that the work is carried out.
• Scope of the passive form
  • 舗装されていない山道 is a mountain road that has not been paved. It does not additionally mean that the road is damaged or impassable.
• 舗装 and 道路
  • 道路 is the road itself, while 舗装 is the work or surface covering, so the two are not interchangeable.