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州 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
州zhōuprefectureHSK 6, n, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōustate (e.g. of US)HSK 6, n, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōuprovince (old)HSK 6, n, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōuadministrative division (old)HSK 6, n, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōustate, province, prefectureHSK 6, n, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōu(old) provinceHSK 6, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōu(old) administrative divisionHSK 6, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōuoblast (Russia)HSK 6, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
州zhōucanton (Switzerland)HSK 6, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 川, rank #1347, Hard
zhōu(zhou1) T1
  1. 1prefecture
  2. 2state (e.g. of US)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
州zhōu(zhou1)

The character 州 (zhōu) refers to a geographic or administrative division, often translated as 'state' or 'prefecture'. It is used in both historical and modern contexts to describe regions within a country, such as provinces in China or states in the United States. In contemporary usage, it is more commonly associated with administrative divisions rather than historical provinces.

Strokes6Radical川Frequency#1347DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese history, 州 represented significant administrative divisions, especially during imperial times. Understanding this term helps learners appreciate the historical context of China's governance and the evolution of its administrative divisions.

Memory Tip

Think of 州 (zhōu) as a 'zoo' where each 'state' has its own unique animals. The top part '氵' (water radical) can remind you of rivers that often define state boundaries, and the bottom '州' resembles a shelter for those animals, representing the idea of a defined area or region.

Meanings of 州

zhōu(zhou1)
1prefecture
2state (e.g. of US)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 州

州Simplified
6Strokes
川Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#1347Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6HSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 州

JasonAmy

Podcast: 州

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 州

Quick Contrast

省 (shěng) - use 州 for divisions larger than a province; 县 (xiàn) - use 州 for divisions larger than a county.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 州 (zhōu) as a 'zoo' where each 'state' has its own unique animals. The top part '氵' (water radical) can remind you of rivers that often define state boundaries, and the bottom '州' resembles a shelter for those animals, representing the idea of a defined area or region.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 州 with similar terms like 省 (shěng, province) or 区 (qū, district), as they represent different administrative levels. 州 is typically used in more formal contexts, especially in government discussions or historical texts. Common collocations include 省/州政府 (province/state government) and 州际 (interstate).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 6 word, 州 connects to other geographic terms like 省 (shěng) and 县 (xiàn), which are also important for understanding China's administrative structure. Focus on using 州 in context to describe regions accurately and practice pairing it with other terms related to governance or geography.

Cultural Note

In Chinese history, 州 represented significant administrative divisions, especially during imperial times. Understanding this term helps learners appreciate the historical context of China's governance and the evolution of its administrative divisions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 州 with 省 (shěng) and use them interchangeably. For example, saying '我住在这个州的省' (I live in the province of this state) is incorrect; it should be '我住在这个州' (I live in this state).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 州

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Etymology of 州

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a region of dry land between two rivers.

Memory Hint

Islands within a river 川

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 州?

Decomposition of 州

IDS Structure⿻川？
州Full Character
=
川Chuan1
outer
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 州?

Write 州

州

Practice writing 州 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 州

州 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

这趟列车由上海开往广____。

This train runs from Shanghai to Guangzhou.

Example Sentences for 州 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我的故乡伊利诺伊州一马平川。

wǒ de gù xiāng yī lì nuò yī zhōu yī mǎ píng chuān。

My home state of Illinois is flat as a pancake.
2
佛罗里达州坦帕市法庭判决5名官员的毒品交易罪名成立。

fó luó lǐ dá zhōu tǎn pà shì fǎ tíng pàn jué5 5 míng guān yuán de dú pǐn jiāo yì zuì míng chéng。

A court at Tampa, Florida has convicted five officials on drugs charges.
3
这个公园是为了保护该州最北部地区的一些森林而建的。

zhè gè gōng yuán shì wéi le bǎo hù gāi zhōu zuì běi bù dì qū de yī xiē sēn lín ér jiàn de。

The park was created to preserve some of the forests upstate.
4
他是州长候选人之一。

tā shì zhōu cháng hòu xuǎn rén zhī yī。

He is a candidate for the office of Governor.
5
我离开了得克萨斯州，总算摆脱了那里的一切。

wǒ lí kāi le dé kè sà sī zhōu， ， zǒng suàn bǎi tuō le nà lǐ de yī。

I left Texas and said good riddance to all that.
6
这位19岁的佐治亚州人并不是比赛中的优秀击球手之一。

zhè wèi19 19 suì de zuǒ zhì yà zhōu rén bìng bù shì bǐ sài zhōng de yōu xiù jī qiú shǒu zhī。

The Georgian, aged 19, is not one of the game's big hitters.
7
他作为一位睿智、具备政治家才干的州长而广受尊崇。

tā zuò wéi yī wèi ruì zhì、 、 jù bèi zhèng zhì jiā cái gān de zhōu cháng ér guǎng shòu zūn。

He was widely respected as a wise and statesmanlike governor.
8
今晚一场森林大火正席卷缅因州北部的部分地区。

jīn wǎn yī cháng sēn lín dà huǒ zhèng xí juàn miǎn yīn zhōu běi bù de bù fēn dì qū。

A forest fire is sweeping across portions of north Maine this evening.
9
亨特先生及他率领的管理小组加入了州长们的队伍。

hēng tè xiān shēng jí tā shuài lǐng de guǎn lǐ xiǎo zǔ jiā rù le zhōu cháng mén de duì wǔ。

The governors were joined by Mr Hunter and his management team.
10
他乘坐总统的豪华列车经过自己所在的州。

tā chéng zuò zǒng tǒng de háo huá liè chē jīng guò zì jǐ suǒ zài de zhōu。

He rode on the president's luxury train through his own state.

Cultural Notes for 州

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese history, 州 represented significant administrative divisions, especially during imperial times. Understanding this term helps learners appreciate the historical context of China's governance and the evolution of its administrative divisions.

Word Family of 州

Compounds8
洲zhou1continent
酬chou2old variant of 酬[chóu]
喌
栦
絒
詶
銂
駲
Words Containing This Character20
州zhōuprefecture
广州Canton廣州
加州California
杭州Hangzhou subprovincial city and capital of Zhejiang province in southeast China
州长US state governor州長
德州abbr. for 德克薩斯州|德克萨斯州, Texas
贵州Guizhou province (Kweichow) in south central China, abbr. to 黔[Qián] or 貴|贵[Guì], capital Guiyang 貴陽|贵阳[Guì​yáng]貴州
广州市Canton廣州市
温州Wenzhou prefecture level city in Zhejiang溫州
郑州Zhengzhou prefecture level city and capital of Henan Province in central China鄭州
福州formerly known as Foochow or Fuchow
苏州Suzhou prefecture level city in Jiangsu蘇州
州立state-run
杭州市Hangzhou subprovincial city and capital of Zhejiang province in southeast China
兰州Lanzhou prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province 甘肅|甘肃[Gān​sù]蘭州
俄亥俄州Ohio
纽约州New York state紐約州
佛罗里达州Florida佛羅里達州
马萨诸塞州Massachusetts, US state馬薩諸塞州
泉州Quanzhou prefecture level city in Fujian
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 洲 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 州

州 refers to a state or prefecture, often a smaller division within a province, while 省 refers to a larger province itself.