故乡

• Pinyin: gù xiāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 故 = 古 (ancient) + 攵 (to strike/act) — old/former; 乡 = simplified from 鄉, originally depicting two people sharing a meal — home village

Meaning

Hometown; native place; birthplace. The place where one was born or grew up.

A somewhat literary and sentimental word for one's hometown. More emotionally charged than 老家 (old home/hometown), often evoking nostalgia and longing. Frequently appears in literature and songs. The famous essay by Lu Xun is simply titled 故乡.

Examples

1. 他离开故乡已经十年了。 He has been away from his hometown for ten years.
2. 每到春节，我都很想回故乡看看。 Every Spring Festival, I really want to go back to my hometown.
3. 故乡的风景一直留在我的记忆里。 The scenery of my hometown has always stayed in my memory.

Usage Guide

Context: nostalgia, literature, everyday

Tone: sentimental

Do Say

• 我的故乡在南方的一个小城市。(My hometown is a small city in the south.)
• 离开故乡的人都会想家。(People who leave their hometown will miss home.)

Don't Say

• 我的故乡是北京饭店。(Don't use 故乡 for a specific building or address — it means the town or city you come from. Say 我的故乡是北京.)

Origin & History

Compound of 故 (old/former) and 乡 (hometown/village). Together they mean 'one's old village' — the place of origin.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal