Countryside in Chinese 乡下
xiāngxia
Countryside in Chinese is 乡下 (xiāng xia).
Also searched for as: countryside, village, rural.
Life away from the city? 15 essential in the countryside words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The everyday word for the countryside in Chinese is 乡下 (xiāng xia), and it often carries a warm sense of family and a slower pace of life. Alongside it you'll find 农村 (nóng cūn), the standard term for rural areas, 村子 (cūn zi) for a village, and 老家 (lǎo jiā), the family hometown that so many people return to for Chinese New Year.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 乡下 | xiāng xia | countryside |
| 农村 | nóng cūn | rural village |
| 村子 | cūn zi | village |
| 小路 | xiǎo lù | path; lane |
| 田野 | tián yě | open fields |
| 池塘 | chí táng | pond |
| 小河 | xiǎo hé | stream |
| 山坡 | shān pō | hillside |
| 空气新鲜 | kōng qì xīn xiān | fresh air |
| 安静 | ān jìng | quiet |
| 邻居 | lín jū | neighbour |
| 老家 | lǎo jiā | hometown |
| 农家乐 | nóng jiā lè | farm stay; country restaurant |
| 城里 | chéng lǐ | in the city |
| 自然 | zì rán | natural |
Usage tips
- 农村 (nóng cūn) is the neutral, official word, usually contrasted with 城市 (chéng shì), while 乡下 (xiāng xia) is more colloquial and contrasted with 城里 (chéng lǐ).
- A 农家乐 (nóng jiā lè) is a farmhouse restaurant or guesthouse popular with city people at weekends, known for home-style local cooking.
- 老家 (lǎo jiā) can mean the place your family comes from even if you grew up elsewhere, and 你老家是哪儿的？ (nǐ lǎo jiā shì nǎr de?) is a very common getting-to-know-you question.
Common mistakes
- Taking 老家 to mean "old house" → 老家 is your hometown; an old house is 老房子 (lǎo fáng zi).
- Calling people 乡下人 (xiāng xia rén) → it can sound condescending, like calling someone a country bumpkin; say 住在农村的人 (zhù zài nóng cūn de rén) instead.
Mini dialogue
- A你过年回老家吗？Nǐ guò nián huí lǎo jiā ma?Are you going back to your hometown for New Year?
- B回，我老家在乡下，一个很小的村子。Huí, wǒ lǎo jiā zài xiāng xia, yī gè hěn xiǎo de cūn zi.Yes. My hometown's out in the countryside, in a tiny village.
- A乡下怎么样？Xiāng xia zěn me yàng?What's it like there?
- B空气新鲜，晚上特别安静，邻居们都很热情。Kōng qì xīn xiān, wǎn shang tè bié ān jìng, lín jū men dōu hěn rè qíng.The air's fresh, the evenings are really quiet, and the neighbours are all very friendly.
- A真羡慕你！Zhēn xiàn mù nǐ!I'm so jealous!
Example sentences
- 我奶奶住在乡下。My grandma lives in the countryside.
- 他在农村长大。He grew up in a village.
- 村子里只有几百人。There are only a few hundred people in the village.
- 沿着小路往前走。Follow the lane ahead.
- 田野里一片金黄。The fields are golden.
- 池塘里有鱼。There are fish in the pond.
- 村子旁边有一条小河。There's a stream next to the village.
- 山坡上有很多羊。There are lots of sheep on the hillside.
- 乡下空气新鲜。The air in the countryside is fresh.
- 乡下的晚上很安静。Nights in the countryside are quiet.
- 村里的邻居都很熟。Everyone in the village knows each other well.
- 过年回老家。I go back to my hometown for New Year.
- 周末去农家乐吃饭。Going to a farm restaurant at the weekend.
- 城里人周末来乡下玩。City people come to the countryside at weekends.
- 这里的一切都很自然。Everything here is so natural.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The In the countryside speaking island has 8 everyday questions about in the countryside to prepare your own answers to.