鄕 (xiāng) - Village, countryside & native place

鄕Tone 1

xiāng ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

鄕 · xiāng

Village, countryside;

native place;

hometown;

direction, orientation.

Village, countrysidenative placehometown

Usage highlights

HometownCountrysideNative placeVillage headRural areaFellow townsman

Synonyms

  • 村— village
  • 镇— town
  • 邑— city, town (archaic)

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He returned to his hometown (家乡).
  • We drove toward the countryside (乡村).
  • This is my native place (故乡).
  • The village head organized the event (乡长).

Collocations

  • Hometown(家乡)
  • Countryside(乡村)
  • Native place(故乡)
  • Village head(乡长)
  • Rural area(乡下)
  • Fellow townsman(同乡)

Idioms

  • To return home in fine robes(衣锦还乡)
  • To leave one's native place(离乡背井)
  • Fellow villagers(乡里乡亲)
  • Country bumpkin(乡巴佬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese society, one's native place (籍贯) was a crucial part of identity, often more important than birthplace.
  • The character originally depicted two people facing each other over food, representing a communal meal, later extended to mean community and village.
  • In imperial China, officials were usually appointed outside their native provinces to prevent favoritism.

FAQ