About
The character 城 is a phono-semantic compound integrating the radical 土, meaning earth, with 成 serving as a phonetic element, together conveying the idea of a completed earthen structure. Its earliest meaning centered specifically on the defensive walls built from rammed earth that surrounded and protected settlements, emphasizing their function as fortifications. Over time, the term gradually expanded in scope, shifting from denoting solely the physical walls to encompass the entire urban area contained within them, thereby acquiring its general sense of "city" or "town". This evolution in meaning illustrates how the conceptual focus moved from the architectural boundary to the populated entity it enclosed, with the character now primarily referring to a city while still occasionally recalling its original architectural sense in certain historical or compound uses.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
城市很漂亮。
我们去城里玩。
这座城有古老的历史。
城墙保护了城市的安全。
北京是中国的首都城市。
城市规划需要考虑交通问题。
随着城市化进程，许多乡村变成了城市。
在数字化时代，智慧城市的概念越来越重要。