州

zhōu
HSK 6
#720 most
frequent character
prefecture, state (e.g. of US)
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

州 zhōu shows 川, a river, with three dots marking land in the middle. That gave the first meaning, 'island in a river', now written 洲. From there it grew to mean a province-like division.

Drawn as: land amid river water

州 as a component in other characters

sound2 characters
洲酬
picture1 character
洲

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Example Sentences

纽约州是美国人口最多的州。
niǔyuē zhōu shì měiguó rénkǒu zuìduō de zhōu 。
New York State is the most populous state in the United States.
在中国，有很多美丽的州。
zài zhōngguó ， yǒu hěnduō měilì de zhōu 。
In China, there are many beautiful provinces.
加州的气候非常宜人。
jiāzhōu de qìhòu fēicháng yírén 。
The climate in California is very pleasant.

Words with similar meanings

省shěng
province
This term refers specifically to a primary administrative division within certain countries, similar to how '州' denotes regions in other contexts.

Homophones

HSK 6
粥zhōu
porridge (of rice or millet)
HSK 6
舟zhōu
boat
周zhōu
week
洲zhōu
continent, island in a river

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Public Lists with 州

HSK 6
All words for the HSK 6 test
Politics & Government
Elections, political parties, government structure, policy, and lawmaking.
Geography & Geology
Continents, landscapes, geological formations, mapping, and terrain.