故乡

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

含义

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.

例句

1. 他离开故乡已经十年了。
2. 每到春节，我都很想回故乡看看。
3. 故乡的风景一直留在我的记忆里。

用法指南

语境: nostalgia, literature, everyday

语气: sentimental

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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.)

起源与历史

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

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal