When you combine them, 城市 (chéngshì) means “city” or “urban area.” Adding 化 (-huà) transforms it into 城市化 (chéngshìhuà), literally “city-ification”—the process of turning into cities, or urbanization.
In China, 城市化 (chéngshìhuà) is not just a demographic trend; it is a national strategy and a defining cultural experience. It is the story of modern China itself. The scale and speed of China's urbanization are unlike anything seen before in human history. Since the “Reform and Opening Up” (改革开放 gǎigé kāifàng) policies began in the late 1970s, hundreds of millions of people have moved from the countryside to cities, seeking work and a better life. Comparison with Western Urbanization: While Western countries also experienced urbanization, the process was generally slower, spanning over a century during the Industrial Revolution. In contrast, China's urbanization is a highly compressed, state-directed phenomenon. This top-down approach has led to the rapid creation of infrastructure (subways, high-speed rail) but has also created unique social structures and challenges. A key difference is the 户口 (hùkǒu) or “household registration system.” This system ties a citizen's access to social services (like healthcare and education) to their official place of residence. For the millions of 农民工 (nóngmíngōng), or migrant workers, who power the cities, they often live and work in an urban area without having a local hùkǒu, creating a massive population of “outsiders” within their own country. This is a central tension in China's 城市化 story that doesn't have a direct parallel in the West.
城市化 is a formal term, primarily used in writing and formal speech. You'll encounter it constantly in:
Its connotation is generally neutral but depends heavily on the context.