HSK · Level 23
135 words
Chinese word
乡
Pronunciation
Pinyinxiāng
Meaning
- nountownship
Example
他在县里的一个乡工作。tā zài xiàn lǐ de yí gè xiāng gōng zuò
He works in a township in the county.
More examples
那家工厂分布在多个乡镇附近。nà jiā gōng chǎng fēn bù zài duō gè xiāng zhèn fù jìn
That factory is located near several townships.
Core concept
A local community area where people live and organize themselves, especially a rural unit below a county.
Common phrases
乡村xiāng cūn
rural area
乡镇xiāng zhèn
township
乡间xiāng jiān
countryside
Similar words
镇zhèn: A small urban area where business and government services gather for nearby rural communities.
村cūn: A village-sized community, usually with many farm households living together.
家乡jiā xiāng: A person's hometown or the land that feels like home.
乡村xiāng cūn: Rural areas in general, including both villages and the countryside around them.
Definition in Chinese
传统上指乡里或故乡，现代指县下的基层单位，多为农村地区的辖区，也常见于地名中。chuán tǒng shàng zhǐ xiāng lǐ huò gù xiāng xiàn dài zhǐ xiàn xià de jī céng dān wèi duō wèi nóng cūn dì qū de xiá qū yě cháng jiàn yú dì míng zhōng
Word origin
乡 (xiāng, "local community") originally referred to a local settlement or native place, and that sense developed into the modern administrative use for a rural unit below a county.
Usage tips
- English often separates an administrative area from a hometown, but Chinese can connect both ideas through this word; nearby place details show which meaning is intended.
Other meanings
- areanoun
Opposites
- 市区shì qūurban areanoun
- 城市chéng shìcitynoun
Related words
- 乡村xiāng cūnrural areanoun
- 乡镇xiāng zhèntownshipnoun
- 乡间xiāng jiāncountrysidenoun