# countryside



## yuechu

大家好！

I was looking up the word "countryside" in the Wordreference dictionary today and noticed that there are two translations: 农村 and 乡下. Are both of these words polite? Could someone say, for example: "我是农村的“ and "我是乡下的"?
Thanks!


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## lekal

二者都是正确的、合适的


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## philchinamusical

"乡下" used to be a little derogatory. When we were still children, calling farmers or people from other cities as "乡下人" was regarded impolite, though many adults did that behind people's backs.


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## NewAmerica

In practical sense, both sound impolite in China.  Chinese farmers generally have the inferiority complex of being a farmer.


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## retrogradedwithwind

Those who come from big cities often look down upon those from small cities, let alone those from villages. When you say to someone that you are 乡下的 or 农村的, you show your disrespect more or less even though you just talk about " facts". So perhaps there is no polite way to say 农村的乡下的。


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## SimonTsai

That may not be the case in Taiwan. Here, what really matters is the tone rather than the word.

Nevertheless, 我是農村的 sounds slightly foreign. 我來自農村, methinks, may work better.

Also, please do distinguish between 農村 and 鄉下.


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## philchinamusical

I really don't think "农村（的）" is impolite, especially in China mainland. In the papers, we always see "农村干部", "农村经济", and "建设社会主义新农村".


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## NewAmerica

干部 euphemises the derogatory sense, because Chinese farmers envy 当官的。The other phrases are talking big, esp. by "new _emperors" _and officials, rather than by farmers.


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## philchinamusical

Not exactly. We have a famous saying as "农村包围城市". 

And even some terms are big talks-that I agree, they don't have any derogatory senses when involving "农村", as well as "农民".


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## retrogradedwithwind

errr... I just raised a common phenomenon that around the world people from big cities despise those from smaller cities... In this sense I say it's impossible to say 农村的 in a polite way.

I don't mean everyone will treat 农村人 with disrespect...


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## NewAmerica

Those days, when Mao needed farmers help him grab state power, had long gone.

Read Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikotter. Farmers were jilted by Mao in peaceful days. Such jilting is far worse than simple contempt.


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## Skatinginbc

yuechu said:


> Could someone say, for example: "我是农村的“ and "我是乡下的"?


Could someone say "我是城市的“?


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## philchinamusical

Skatinginbc said:


> Could someone say "我是城市的“?


You can say "我是城里的".


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