西城 (xī chéng) — Xicheng District (in Beijing) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Xicheng is a district in central Beijing, one of the city's core urban areas, home to many historic sites like the Forbidden City and Beihai Park.

noun

Xicheng District (in Beijing)

Examples

西城，。
xī chéng Shì běi jīng de yí gè qū, yǒu hěn duō gǔ lǎo de hú tòng.
Xicheng is a district in Beijing with many ancient hutongs.
西城，。
Wǒ péng you zhù zài xī chéng, lí gù gōng hěn jìn.
My friend lives in Xicheng, very close to the Forbidden City.
西城。
xī chéng De běi hǎi gōng yuán shì běi jīng zhù míng de jǐng diǎn.
Beihai Park in Xicheng is a famous scenic spot in Beijing.

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.

西 names the western side and 城 the city, together giving the district name.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

土成城

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

成

成chéng城chéng

Same sound today

城 pairs 土 (soil) with 成 as a sound part, because city walls were originally made of stamped earth.

Appears in

China — Places

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.