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街区 (jiē ōu) — (noun) city block; neighborhood district

Definition

A neighborhood-scale area defined by a few streets — larger than a single 街道 block, smaller than a 社区. Often used for distinctive districts known for their shops, food, or character.

noun
city blockneighborhood district
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 街区，。
    Zhè ge jiē ōu hěn ān jìng, yǒu hěn duō lǎo fáng zi.
    This block is very quiet, with many old houses.
  • 街区。
    Tā men zhù zài shì zhōng xīn de yí gè fán huá jiē ōu lǐ.
    They live in a bustling block in the city center.
  • 街区。
    Zhè ge jiē ōu de cān tīng hé shāng diàn dōu hěn yǒu tè sè.
    The restaurants and shops in this block are very distinctive.

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.

街jiēstreet
区qūdistrict

街 means street and 区 means district, naming a city block or street district.

Characters in this word

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
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī街jiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

街 combines 行 and 圭: 行 is the meaning part, and 圭 is the sound part. Originally, 圭 drew a pair of ritual axes, not earth.

Open 街 →

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.

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

Open 区 →
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