老乡

老鄉

lǎoxiāng

noun HSK 6 #20,046

Measure Word

一位老乡 wèi

Meanings

1 fellow townsman; person from the same hometown
2 villager; local person (friendly address)

Characters

old (prefix for familiarity)

hometown; countryside; village

Old hometown-mate — someone from the same place as you.

Examples

他在北京遇到了老乡。

Tā zài Běijīng yùdào le lǎoxiāng.

He ran into someone from his hometown in Beijing.

老乡见老乡，两眼泪汪汪。

Lǎoxiāng jiàn lǎoxiāng, liǎng yǎn lèi wāngwāng.

When fellow townsmen meet, tears fill both their eyes.

你是哪里的老乡？

Nǐ shì nǎlǐ de lǎoxiāng?

Where are you from, friend?

在异乡碰到老乡特别亲切。

Zài yìxiāng pèngdào lǎoxiāng tèbié qīnqiè.

Meeting someone from home in a foreign place feels especially warm.

Tips

usage

老乡 creates an instant bond between people from the same region. In Chinese culture, shared geographic origin is a strong social connection. The famous saying 老乡见老乡，两眼泪汪汪 captures the emotion of meeting someone from home while far away.

Stroke Order

老 lǎo

乡 xiāng