县 (xiàn) - county — an administrative division & historically, a territory governed by a feudal lord.

县Tone 4

xiàn ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 厶

万响

县 · xiàn

county — an administrative division;

historically, a territory governed by a feudal lord.

county — an administrative divisionhistorically, a territory governed by a feudal lord.

Usage highlights

countycounty seatcounty governmentcounty levelcounty magistratecounty town

Synonyms

  • 郡县— commandery and county (historical administrative units)
  • 州县— prefecture and county

Antonyms

  • 市— city (as opposed to county)
  • 省— province (larger administrative unit)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is a county-level city (县级市).
  • He works at the county government (县政府).
  • The county seat is located in the center (县城).
  • Our county has a long history (本县历史悠久).

Collocations

  • county(县)
  • county seat(县城)
  • county government(县政府)
  • county level(县级)
  • county magistrate(县长)
  • county town(县城)

Idioms

  • He who rides a tiger cannot dismount(骑虎难下 — originally 骑虎之势, county-related in some historical contexts)
  • The magistrate of a county(县官不如现管)
  • County magistrate's power(县太爷)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The county (县) has been a fundamental administrative unit in China since the Qin dynasty.
  • In ancient times, counties were often granted as fiefs to nobles and officials.
  • The modern Chinese administrative system maintains the county as an important level of local government.

FAQ