州
Meanings
state; province; regional administrative division
Used for subnational administrative units in foreign countries: U.S. or Australian states, Canadian provinces, U.K. counties, Italian regions, Swiss cantons, Russian oblasts, and similar units. Very common as a suffix after a place name.
He lives in the state of California.
In the United States, laws differ from state to state.
Geography use for a continent or continental-scale region, especially in compounds such as 六大州 or 五大洲. In ordinary speech, 大陸 is often the more transparent word for a physical continent.
We learned the six continents in geography class.
old Japanese province
Historical suffix referring to an old province of Japan, parallel to 国 in older place names. It remains visible in traditional regional names such as 信州 and 甲州.
See also: 国
Shinshū is a name derived from the old province of Shinano.
ancient Chinese province; prefecture; department
Historical administrative term in Chinese contexts. Depending on period and translation convention, 州 may be rendered as province, prefecture, or department.
In the Tang period, zhou were established as units of local administration.
Archaic suffix placed after a person's name to express affection or endearment. This is not a productive modern honorific.
In old writing, 州 attached after a person's name is explained as an affectionate honorific.
Usage patterns
- 〈場所〉州the state/province of ~ (attached to a foreign place name)
He lives in the state of California.
- 州によって〈事〉が違うto vary from state to state / province to province
In the U.S., laws differ from state to state.