市长

• Pinyin: shì zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 市 = pictograph of a marketplace, meaning 'city'; 长 = pictograph of a person with long hair, meaning 'chief/elder'

Meaning

Mayor. The head of a city government.

The chief administrative official of a city. In Chinese political structure, the mayor (市长) works under the city's Communist Party secretary. When addressing a mayor formally, use their surname plus 市长, e.g., 王市长. Similar to other titles: 省长 (governor), 校长 (principal).

Examples

1. 新的市长是一位女性。 The new mayor is a woman.
2. 市长今天来参观了我们学校。 The mayor came to visit our school today.
3. 市长说要建更多的公园。 The mayor said they want to build more parks.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, administration

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 市长在会议上发言了。(The mayor spoke at the meeting.)
• 你们市的市长是谁？(Who is the mayor of your city?)

Don't Say

• 不要在正式场合直接叫'市长' (Don't address a mayor as just 市长 in formal settings — use their surname plus the title, such as 王市长)

Origin & History

市 (shì, city) + 长 (zhǎng, chief/head). Literally 'city chief,' the leader of a city administration.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal