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直辖市 (zhí xiá shì) — municipality (city directly under the central government, equal in status to a province)

Definition

A province-level city administered directly by the central government — one of only four: 北京, 天津, 上海, 重庆. Its mayor ranks equal to a provincial governor (省长).

noun
municipality (city directly under the central government, equal in status to a province)

Examples

  • 直辖市。
    zhí xiá shì Shì zhōng guó zuì gāo jí bié de chéng shì zhī yī.
    Municipalities are one of the highest-level cities in China.
  • 、、直辖市。
    Běi jīng, tiān jīn, shàng hǎi hé chóng qìng shì zhōng guó de sì gè zhí xiá shì.
    Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing are China's four municipalities.
  • 直辖市。
    zhí xiá shì De shì zhǎng hé shěng zhǎng píng jí.
    The mayor of a municipality is at the same level as a provincial governor.

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.

直辖directly governed
直zhídirectly辖xiágovern
偏正Modifier + head
市shìcity

“直” (directly) and “辖” (govern) describe how a “市” (city) is administered.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 轄; 辖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcart
Sound part声符shēngfú
害
害hài轄xiá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 轄 combines 車 (cart) with 害 for its sound, referring to a linchpin; the simplified 辖 is a later abbreviation.

Open 辖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
兮兮xībustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī市shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Open 市 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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