地区 meaning in English
region; area (informal or geographical term); prefecture (in China's administrative system)
Meaning of 地区
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- region; area (informal or geographical term)
- prefecture (in China's administrative system)
How to use 地区
地区 is used for regions of any size, from parts of a city to large areas of a country or the world, and it often appears in news and formal writing. It can also be an official term for a prefecture in China's administrative system. Example: 这个地区冬天很冷。(Zhège dìqū dōngtiān hěn lěng.) Winter in this region is very cold.
地 (dì) means ground or land, and 区 (qū) means a district or zone. Put them together and you get a piece of land marked off as a zone: a region or area.
Common mistake: Learners often use 地区 where 地方 (dìfang) sounds more natural. In casual speech, "a fun place" is 好玩的地方, not 好玩的地区, because 地区 suggests a larger, defined area. Also keep 地 in fourth tone (dì), and do not confuse 区 with 医 (yī), which looks similar but is missing the 乂 inside.
地区 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
地 de · -ly · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
区 qū · area · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 地区.
| 地方 | dìfang | region; regional (away from the central administration) |
| 地上 | dìshang | on the ground; on the floor |
| 地点 | dìdiǎn | place; site |
| 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 地球 | dìqiú | the earth |
| 地铁 | dìtiě | underground railway; subway; subway train |
| 草地 | cǎodì | lawn; meadow |
| 外地 | wàidì | parts of the country other than where one is |
| 地铁站 | dìtiězhàn | subway station |
| 区别 | qūbié | difference; to distinguish |
| 当地 | dāngdì | local |
| 各地 | gèdì | in all parts of (a country); various regions |
Questions about 地区
What does 地区 mean?
地区 (dìqū) means "region; area (informal or geographical term); prefecture (in China's administrative system)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 地区?
地区 is made of 2 characters: 地 (6 strokes), 区 (4 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 地区 an HSK word?
Yes. 地区 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 地区 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 地区 is written 地區.
What is the difference between 地区 and 地点?
地区 (dìqū) is an area or region that covers a lot of space. 地点 (dìdiǎn) is a specific spot or location, such as where a meeting is held. You would ask 开会的地点在哪儿? for a meeting place, not 地区.
Why are places like Hong Kong and Taiwan called 地区?
In official Chinese usage, 地区 is a neutral word for a territory or region. That is why you will often hear the phrase 国家和地区 (guójiā hé dìqū), meaning "countries and regions," in news and at international events.