州・洲|しゅうshuu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N3approx.Common
Which spelling to use
州州 is the usual and most common written form of this entry, and it is the form beginners should normally choose when writing the word.
洲洲 is a less common kanji variant of 州; you may encounter it in writing, but learners should generally choose 州 instead.
Definitions
  1. noun, noun (suffix)state (of the US, Australia, India, Germany, etc.); province (e.g. of Canada); county (e.g. of the UK); region (e.g. of Italy); canton; oblast
    南部なんぶの州しゅうへ冬期とうきに旅行りょこうすると、今こん旅行りょこうするよりも料金りょうきんが高たかくなります。↗
    Traveling to the southern states during the winter will be costlier than it is now.
  2. noun, noun (suffix)continent
  3. noun (suffix)province (of Japan)
  4. noun, noun (suffix)province (of ancient China); prefecture; department
  5. suffixdearafter a person's name
Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymステートWrittenLoanword for a US state or a nation — not to be confused with 「ステートメント」; used alone it usually means a US state. Tends to appear in written prose.
  • Related省しょうNeutralNeutral word for a Chinese province or a Japanese government ministry, as in 「財務省」 — a different administrative unit from a US 「州」.

For states of the US and similar countries, 「州」 is the default. Use 「ステート」 for the loanword in written prose, and 「省」 for Chinese provinces or Japanese ministries like 「財務省」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. (シュウ)行政ぎょうせい単位たんいの呼称こしょう。
  2. 漢字かんじ文化圏ぶんかけんにおいて、一般いっぱんに「国くに」(後代こうだいには「省しょう」)の下位かい、「郡ぐん」の上位じょうい又または同格どうかくとしておかれた。
  3. 中華人民共和国ちゅうかじんみんきょうわこくにおいては、第だい一級いっきゅう行政ぎょうせい区画くかく(省しょう、自治区じちく、直轄ちょっかつ市し)の下位かいに位置いちする地ち級きゅう行政ぎょうせい単位たんい。
  4. 日本にっぽんにおいては令制国りょうせいこくの通称つうしょうとして、国名こくめいの一部いちぶに「州しゅう」を加くわえ呼称こしょうした。
  5. 漢字かんじ文化圏ぶんかけん以外いがいにおいて、地方ちほう行政ぎょうせい単位たんいの訳語やくご。国家こっかに対たいし、ある程度ていどの独立性どくりつせいを有ゆうする意味合いみあいを持もって用もちいられることが多おおい。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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