乡亲

鄉親
xiāngqīn
noun HSK 7 #22,358

Meanings

  1. 1 fellow villager; townfolk
  2. 2 folks (used to address rural communities)

Characters

Literally 'village kin' — people from the same hometown who are treated like extended family.

Examples

Xiāngqīnmen dōu lái huānyíng tā huíjiā.
The villagers all came to welcome him home.
Tā líkāi jiāxiāng hòu yìzhí xiǎngniàn xiāngqīnmen.
After leaving his hometown, he always missed the folks back home.

Tips

usage
乡亲 (xiāngqīnmen) is the classic opening address in rural China, like 'dear folks.' Politicians and officials visiting the countryside always start with 乡亲! It carries warmth and a sense of shared roots that 大家 (everyone) lacks.

Stroke Order

xiāng
qīn