邑 (yì) - City & town

邑Tone 4

yì ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 邑

一懿

邑 · yì

City;

town;

capital;

settlement;

administrative division in ancient China.

Citytowncapital

Usage highlights

City wallCounty magistrateRoyal capitalTownFiefCounty

Synonyms

  • 城— city; town
  • 都— capital; metropolis
  • 市— city; market

Antonyms

  • 野— countryside; wild
  • 乡— village; countryside

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This ancient city was once a major settlement (城邑).
  • The capital of the state was called the royal capital (王邑).
  • He was appointed as the magistrate of a county (邑宰).

Collocations

  • City wall(城邑)
  • County magistrate(邑宰)
  • Royal capital(王邑)
  • Town(邑镇)
  • Fief(采邑)
  • County(县邑)

Idioms

  • Ten thousand households in the city(万家之邑)
  • To pacify the people and govern the city(安民治邑)
  • The city of a thousand chariots(千乘之邑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, '邑' referred to walled cities or towns, often serving as administrative centers.
  • It was used in feudal systems to denote fiefs or territories granted to nobles.
  • The character itself often appears in place names and surnames derived from such locations.

FAQ