省
shěng
The Chinese word for province is 省 (shěng). If unsure, use 省. Wiktionary also lists 省份 (shěngfèn).
Meaning: a subdivision of government usually one step below the national level (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 省 | shěng |
| 省份 | shěngfèn |
A province is a subdivision of government, usually one step below the national level. When referring specifically to the capital city of a province, the term 省会 is used. To describe things at the provincial level, such as administrative tiers, you can use the adjective 省级.
Which one should you use?
While 省 is the standard way to name a specific province (for example, Guangdong Province), 省份 is used as a more formal or abstract noun when discussing provinces as a general category or concept.
How do you pronounce it?
shěng
Did you know?
- The character 省 originally meant 'to inspect' or 'to examine' rather than a geographical territory. It was once written with a radical meaning 'eye' to symbolize the act of looking closely.
- The character 省 is also the word for 'to save' or 'to economize' in Chinese. This is because both meanings stem from the original idea of 'reducing' or 'omitting' something unnecessary.
- In modern Chinese, 省 is used in the word for 'reflection' or 'introspection' 反省. This maintains the ancient meaning of 'inspecting' one's own behavior.
Examples in context
- 浙江省在哪里？Where is Zhejiang Province?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a specific 省.Tatoeba #13953752 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13953754 by jan_OkulaJu
- 杭州是浙江省的省会。Hangzhou is the provincial capital of Zhejiang Province.This sentence is useful for identifying the 省会 of a province.Tatoeba #13953764 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13953767 by jan_OkulaJu
- 浙江省地处中国东南沿海，隶属于华东地区。Zhejiang Province is located on the southeastern coast of China and belongs to the East China region.This sentence is useful for describing the geographical location and region of a specific 省.Tatoeba #13953757 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13953760 by jan_OkulaJu
- 我来自中国的一个省份。I am from a province in China.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are discussing travel plans in a cafe.
- 梓涵 Zihan你想去哪个省旅游？Nǐ xiǎng qù nǎge shěng lǚyóu?Which province do you want to travel to?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想去广东省的南部。Wǒ xiǎng qù Guǎngdōng Shěng de nánbù.I want to go to the southern part of Guangdong Province.
- 梓涵 Zihan那个省有很多美食。Nàge shěng yǒu hěnduō měishí.That province has a lot of delicious food.
- 俊杰 Junjie对，所以我想去那里。Duì, suǒyǐ wǒ xiǎng qù nàlǐ.Yes, that's why I want to go there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “province” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 省, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
