Usage note
故乡表示出生或成长的地方。
gù xiāng biǎo shì chū shēng huò chéng zhǎng de dì fāng。
故乡 means one's hometown or native place.
Context note
故乡常用于情感、回忆和诗歌。
gù xiāng cháng yòng yú qíng gǎn 、 huí yì hé shī gē。
It is often used with emotions, memories, and poetry.
5 examples
他想念故乡。
tā xiǎng niàn gù xiāng。
He misses his hometown.
故乡的风景很美。
gù xiāng de fēng jǐng hěn měi。
The scenery of the hometown is beautiful.
她回到了故乡。
tā huí dào le gù xiāng。
She returned to her hometown.
故乡让人怀念。
gù xiāng ràng rén huái niàn。
Hometown makes people nostalgic.
这是他的故乡。
zhè shì tā de gù xiāng。
This is his native place.
5 mini stories
他离开故乡很多年了。
tā lí kāi gù xiāng hěn duō nián le。
He had left his hometown for many years.
老师给我们读了一首关于故乡的诗。
lǎo shī gěi wǒ men dú le yì shǒu guān yú gù xiāng de shī。
The teacher read us a poem about hometown.
每次回故乡，他都很开心。
měi cì huí gù xiāng， tā dōu hěn kāi xīn。
Every time he returned to his hometown, he was very happy.
故乡的味道让人难忘。
gù xiāng de wèi dào ràng rén nán wàng。
The taste of hometown is unforgettable.
她在外面工作，但心里总想着故乡。
tā zài wài miàn gōng zuò， dàn xīn lǐ zǒng xiǎng zhe gù xiāng。
She works outside, but always thinks of her hometown.
Mini dialogue
想念家乡
A
你的故乡在哪里？
Nǐ de gùxiāng zài nǎlǐ?
Where is your hometown?
B
我的故乡在南方，很美。
Wǒ de gùxiāng zài nánfāng, hěn měi.
My hometown is in the south, very beautiful.
假期计划
A
暑假你想做什么？
Shǔjià nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?
What do you want to do during summer vacation?
B
我想回故乡看爷爷奶奶。
Wǒ xiǎng huí gùxiāng kàn yéye nǎinai.
I want to go back to my hometown to see my grandparents.
Related words and contrasts
similar
家乡
jiāxiāng
hometown
家乡 is more commonly used in daily conversation, while 故乡 often carries a nostalgic or literary tone.
similar
老家
lǎojiā
native place
老家 refers to one's ancestral home or the place where one's family is from, often used in casual speech.
opposite
异乡
yìxiāng
foreign land
异乡 means a place far from home, opposite to the idea of hometown.