小区 (xiǎo qū) — residential community, neighborhood | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A managed residential community — apartment blocks with shared grounds, gates, and often security. More specific than 附近 ('nearby area') and more concrete than 区 ('district').

noun

residential communityneighborhood

Measure word · 个

Examples

小区。
Zhè ge xiǎo qū hěn dà.
This residential community is very big.
小区。
Wǒ men xiǎo qū lǐ yǒu yí gè chāo shì.
There is a supermarket in our neighborhood.
小区。
Zhè ge xiǎo qū lí xué xiào hěn jìn.
This neighborhood is very close to the school.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

区qūdistrict

小 “small” and 区 “district” combine for a residential neighborhood.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 區; 区 is its simplified writing.

匸匸xì
品品pǐn

The traditional form 區 is made from 匸 and 品; the simplified 区 is a shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 3 City & Urban

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