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老乡 (lǎo xiāng) — fellow townsman; someone from the same hometown (often implying warmth, trust, or nostalgia)

Definition

A person from the same hometown, used as a warm, familiar way to address them. More personal and address-like than 家乡 (a place); 乡亲 is the collective 'folks back home.'

noun
fellow townsmansomeone from the same hometown (often implying warmth, trust, or nostalgia)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，老乡。
    Tīng dào tā de kǒu yīn, wǒ jiù zhī dào tā shì wǒ lǎo xiāng.
    When I heard his accent, I immediately knew he was from my hometown.
  • 老乡，！
    Zán men dōu shì shān dōng lǎo xiāng, yǐ hòu duō lián xì!
    We're both from Shandong, let's keep in touch!
  • 老乡，。
    Zài wài dì yù jiàn lǎo xiāng, gǎn jué tè bié qīn qiè.
    Meeting a fellow townsman in a foreign place feels especially warm.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

老lǎo
乡xiānghometown

老 shows familiarity, and 乡 points to a hometown.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

Two 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.

Open 乡 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Friends & Social

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