区

• Pinyin: qū
• Hanzi breakdown: 区 = simplified from 區; 匚 (container) + 品 (items), meaning things bounded within an area

Meaning

District; area; zone. A defined region or administrative division.

Used for administrative districts (朝阳区 = Chaoyang District), general areas (住宅区 = residential area), and zones (工业区 = industrial zone). One of the most common geographic terms in Chinese cities. Also used abstractly for ranges or domains (地区 = region, 区别 = difference).

Examples

1. 我住在北京的海淀区。 I live in Beijing's Haidian District.
2. 这个区的交通非常方便。 The transport in this district is very convenient.
3. 商业区晚上也很热闹。 The commercial district is lively even at night.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, addresses, urban life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你住在哪个区？(Which district do you live in?)
• 这一带属于工业区。(This area belongs to the industrial zone.)

Don't Say

• 我要去一个区吃饭。(Don't use 区 vaguely without specifying which district — say 那个区 or name the specific district, like 朝阳区.)

Origin & History

区 is simplified from 區. The traditional form shows 品 (items/mouths) inside 匚 (container), suggesting many things contained within a boundary — a defined area.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal