乡 (xiāng) — hometown, native village; countryside, rural area; township (PRC administrative unit)
Definition
乡 is a building block: 家乡/故乡 mean 'hometown' (where you're from), while 乡村/乡下/农村 mean 'countryside' (rural life). 乡 also names the PRC township administrative unit.
noun
hometownnative villagecountrysiderural areatownship (PRC administrative unit)
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 。Wǒ měi nián guò nián dōu huí xiāng.I return to my hometown every year for the Spring Festival.
- 。Chéng shì hé xiāng cūn de shēng huó hěn bù yí yàng.Life in the city and the countryside is very different.
- 乡。Zhè ge xiāng yǒu wǔ gè cūn zi.This township has five villages.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄉; 乡 is its simplified writing.
- 𠨍𠨍𠨍two people facing each other
- 皀皀jía round-mouthed food vessel
The traditional form 鄉 combines two people facing each other with a round-mouthed food vessel, depicting a feast. The village meaning is connected to this feasting event.
Appears in
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