城市
chéngshì
The English word "city" is translated into Chinese as 城市 (chéngshì). Wiktionary also lists 都市 (dūshì) and 城 (chéng).
Meaning: large settlement (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 城市 | chéngshì |
| 都市 | dūshì |
| 城 | chéng |
| 市 | shì |
The term 城市 is the general word for a city. If you are referring specifically to the central or downtown area of a city, you should use 市区.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 城市 (chéngshì) is composed of the characters 城 (chéng), meaning wall or city and 市 (shì), meaning market or city.
Which one should you use?
While 城市 is the general term for a city, 都市 specifically refers to a large, modern metropolis or an urbanized area. The single character 城 is often used in more literary or informal contexts to refer to a city, often implying the physical or historical concept of a walled settlement.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The character 市 is used as a suffix in the names of many administrative cities and municipalities, such as 上海市.
How do you pronounce it?
chéngshì
Did you know?
- The character 市 shares a potential linguistic root with the Thai word for 'to buy', emphasizing the commercial essence of a city.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the 'city' was defined by its gates. The transition from the countryside to the 城 was marked by passing through these physical checkpoints.
Examples in context
- 他住在城外。He is living outside the city.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 城 to mean city.Tatoeba #13947006 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #2425658 by bionicboy
- 市政府在哪裡?Where is the city hall?This sentence shows the use of 市 to mean city.Tatoeba #4739751 by elenachang, translation #510565 by CK
- 你在不在市區？Are you in the city or not?Tatoeba #12151848 by corina, translation #10049626 by Ricardo14
- 我喜欢大都市的喧嚣和繁忙。I enjoy the hustle and bustle of big cities.
- 我住在市区的中心。I live in the center of the city.
- 这座城真美丽！This city is really beautiful!
- 190 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about where they want to live.
- 浩然 Haoran你喜欢住在城市吗？Nǐ xǐhuān zhù zài chéngshì ma?Do you like living in the city?
- 梓涵 Zihan我喜欢，因为城市很方便。Wǒ xǐhuān, yīnwèi chéngshì hěn fāngbiàn.I do, because the city is very convenient.
- 浩然 Haoran但是城市有时候太吵了。Dànshì chéngshì yǒushíhòu tài chǎo le.But the city is sometimes too noisy.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，这正是它的魅力。Hàorán, zhè zhèngshì tā de mèilì.Haoran, that is exactly its charm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 城, 市, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
