hukou
hukou Lexical Profile
• noun
The official system of household registration used in mainland China and Taiwan, which identifies a person as a resident of a specific geographic area and categorizes them as either rural or urban.
"The government has introduced gradual reforms to the hukou system to make it easier for rural migrants to permanently settle in smaller cities."
An individual household registration record or booklet issued under this system, which dictates a citizen's access to state-provided social services like healthcare, education, and property purchasing rights.
"Without an urban hukou, migrant workers often struggle to enroll their children in local public schools."
• Rhymes for hukou
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the mid-20th century from Mandarin Chinese 户口 / 戶口 (hùkǒu), literally meaning 'household' (hù) and 'mouth' or 'person' (kǒu).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.