乡亲

• Pinyin: xiāng qīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 乡 = simplified 鄉 (countryside/village); 亲 = 立 + 木 + 见 (standing near, looking closely — closeness)

Meaning

Fellow villager; people from the same hometown or rural community; locals.

Carries warmth and a sense of communal belonging. Used by officials addressing local residents or by individuals speaking of their hometown community. The honorific form 父老乡亲 is a formal address in speeches.

Examples

1. 他专程回到老家，为乡亲们带回了慰问品和生活物资。 He made a special trip back to his hometown to bring supplies and care packages to the local villagers.
2. 父老乡亲们，感谢大家多年来对这片土地的无私守护与付出。 Dear fellow townspeople, thank you for your selfless protection of this land and all you’ve contributed over the years.
3. 她一见到从故乡来的乡亲，眼眶便不禁湿润了。 As soon as she saw villagers who had come from her hometown, her eyes welled up with tears.

Usage Guide

Context: community, speeches, rural life

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 乡亲们，今年的粮食收成比往年好了很多，大家都很高兴。(Fellow villagers, this year's grain harvest is much better than in previous years — everyone is very pleased.)
• 他一直牵挂着老家的乡亲，每到节假日都会寄钱和礼物回去。(He always thinks fondly of the folks back home and sends money and gifts every holiday.)

Don't Say

• 我的城市乡亲 — 乡亲 implies rural or hometown ties; use 老乡 broadly or 邻居 for urban neighbours

Origin & History

乡 (village/hometown) + 亲 (close/dear/kin) — those who are dear to you from your hometown

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Rural/Universal