市区

• Pinyin: shì qū
• Hanzi breakdown: 市 = 亠 (lid) + 巾 (cloth), originally meaning marketplace; 区 = simplified from 區, an enclosed area

Meaning

Urban area; city centre; downtown area.

Refers to the central, built-up part of a city as opposed to suburban or rural areas. Often used when discussing commuting, housing prices, traffic, or comparing city life with life outside the city.

Examples

1. 市区的房价比郊区贵很多。 Housing prices in the urban area are much higher than in the suburbs.
2. 我住在市区，上班很方便。 I live in the city centre, so commuting is very convenient.
3. 周末市区的交通特别拥挤。 Traffic in the city centre is especially congested on weekends.

Usage Guide

Context: urban life, transportation

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 从机场到市区大概需要一个小时。(It takes about an hour from the airport to the city centre.)
• 他打算搬到市区去住。(He plans to move to the urban area.)

Don't Say

• 我住在北京市区的一个小村子里。(Don't pair 市区 with 村子 — a village is rural; use 郊区 or 农村 instead.)

Origin & History

Compound of 市 (city, market) and 区 (area, district), literally 'city area.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal