huyện

See also: huyen and huyền

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

h.

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 縣.

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [hwiən˧˨ʔ]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [hwiəŋ˨˩ʔ]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [wiəŋ˨˩˨]

Noun

huyện

a subdivision of a tỉnh (“province”) along with thành phố trực thuộc tỉnh (“provincial capital”); compare quận (subdivision of a thành phố trực thuộc trung ương)
xuống huyện ― to go the rural districts (literally, “to "go down" to the (less developed) rural districts”)

Usage notes

Unlike its historical sense in Vietnamese or its modern sense in Chinese and Japanese which refers to one of the highest levels of administrative division, huyện now refers to one of the lowest. It often has the connotation of stereotypical underdevelopment compared to provincial capitals, especially when it comes to education.