home town, village, native place, district
On'yomi (音読み)
- キョウ
- ゴウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- さと
About this kanji
The kanji 郷, pronounced 'kyou' or 'gou,' primarily means hometown or village. It often refers to one’s native place or district. It can be found in several commonly used compounds, such as 郷土 (kyoudo), which means native place, and 故郷 (furusato), meaning hometown. Another example is 郷愁 (kyoushuu), which translates to nostalgia, reflecting a longing for one's roots. This kanji typically appears with a noun usage, emphasizing connections to place and heritage. When using 郷, it's important to note its sentimental ties, as it often conveys feelings of belonging and identity related to where one comes from.
Example sentences
彼は故郷に帰った。
He returned to his hometown.
Meanings across languages
- English
- home town, village, native place, district
- Tiếng Việt
- quê hương
- 日本語
- 故郷
- 한국어
- 고향
- 中文
- 乡
- id
- kota asal, wilayah
- th
- บ้านเกิด, เขต
- es
- pueblo, distrito
- fr
- village, quartier
- de
- Heimatdorf, Bezirk
- pt
- cidade natal, distrito
Common compounds
- 郷土きょうどnative place, birth-place, one's old home
- 故郷ふるさとhometown, birthplace, native place
- 郷愁きょうしゅうnostalgia, homesickness
- 郷里きょうりhometown, birthplace
- 同郷どうきょう(being from the) same town (province, birthplace, etc.)
- 望郷ぼうきょうhomesickness, nostalgia
- 帰郷ききょうhomecoming, return to one's home
- 異郷いきょうforeign country, foreign land, strange land
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