郷 (xiāng) - Village, countryside, rural area & hometown, native place

郷Tone 1

xiāng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

郷 · xiāng

Village, countryside, rural area;

hometown, native place;

direction, orientation.

Village, countryside, rural areahometown, native placedirection, orientation.

Usage highlights

HometownCountrysideRural accentVillage headRural areaHomesickness

Synonyms

  • 村— village
  • 里— neighborhood, village
  • 邑— town, city

Antonyms

  • 城— city
  • 市— market, city
  • 都— metropolis, capital

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He returned to his hometown (故乡).
  • We visited a mountain village (山村).
  • She has a rural accent (乡音).
  • They moved from the city to the countryside (乡下).

Collocations

  • Hometown(故乡)
  • Countryside(乡下)
  • Rural accent(乡音)
  • Village head(乡长)
  • Rural area(乡村)
  • Homesickness(乡愁)

Idioms

  • Homesick and heartbroken(乡愁断肠)
  • Leaving one's native place(背井离乡)
  • Unable to return home(无颜见江东父老)
  • Familiar local accent(乡音无改)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, '乡' represents one's roots and ancestral home, carrying deep emotional significance.
  • The concept of '乡愁' (homesickness) is a major theme in Chinese literature and poetry.
  • In ancient China, '乡' was an administrative unit below the county level.

FAQ