城市 (chéng shì) means 'city' or 'urban area'—a large, densely populated human settlement with infrastructure like roads, buildings, schools, and government services. The character 城 (chéng) originally meant 'walled city' or 'fortress', emphasizing defense and boundaries; 市 (shì) means 'market' or 'place of commerce', reflecting economic activity and social exchange. Together, they form a compound noun that denotes not just physical space but also the cultural, administrative, and economic center of a region.

This word is used broadly in formal and everyday contexts—to describe any major urban center (e.g., Beijing, Shanghai), to contrast with rural areas (乡村), or in compound terms like 城市化 (urbanization) and 城市中心 (city center). It’s neutral in register and appropriate in writing, speech, news, and academic discussion. Unlike colloquial terms like 都市 (dūshì, 'metropolis') or 口语化的 市区 (shìqū, 'urban district'), 城市 carries no regional or stylistic bias and is the standard term taught in textbooks and used in official statistics.