故郷 (こきょう, kokyou) Japanese meaning: hometown | Kotomora故
郷
を
離
れ
て
都
会
で
働
い
て
いる
。
He left his hometown and works in the city.
Remembering the scenery of my hometown calms my heart.
Usage patterns
故郷を離れるto leave one's hometown
I left my hometown to go to university.
故郷に帰るto return to one's hometown
I plan to return to my hometown for New Year's.
故郷が恋しいto feel homesick for one's hometown
Living abroad, I start to miss my hometown.
故郷を思うto think fondly of one's hometown
I think fondly of my faraway hometown.
出身
N3
故郷 names the actual hometown or native place itself, while 出身 describes the background or origin one comes from, not the place per se.
故郷 refers to one's specific hometown or birthplace, while 母国 refers to the entire country of one's nationality or birth.
