HSK 3 · Article · 253 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-hukou-in-china

户口是什么？

What is hukou in China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó，几乎jīhū每měi家jiā都dōu有yǒu一个yígè小xiǎo本子běnzi，叫jiào“户口本hùkóuběn”。本子běnzi上shàng写xiě着zhe家里jiālǐ每měi个gè人rén的de名字míngzi、生日shēngrì和hé他们tāmen住zhù在zài哪里nálǐ。这zhè就是jiùshì“户口hùkǒu”。

户口hùkǒu有yǒu什么shénme用yòng？在zài中国zhōngguó，你nǐ的de户口hùkǒu在zài哪个nǎge城市chéngshì，常常chángcháng会huì影响yíngxiǎng你nǐ的de生活shēnghuó。比如bǐrú，孩子háizi上学shàngxué的de时候shíhou，很hěn多duō城市chéngshì要yào先xiān看kàn家里jiālǐ的de户口hùkǒu。

为什么wèishénme这zhè很hěn重要zhòngyào？因为yīnwèi很hěn多duō人rén从cóng农村nóngcūn或者huòzhě小xiǎo城市chéngshì来到láidào大城市dàchéngshì工作gōngzuò。他们tāmen在zài这里zhèlǐ住zhù了le很hěn多年duōnián，有yǒu了le工作gōngzuò，也yě有yǒu了le孩子háizi，可是kěshì户口hùkǒu还hái在zài老家lǎojiā。所以suóyǐ，有的yǒude孩子háizi要yào回老家huílǎojiā上学shàngxué，和hé爸爸bàba妈妈māma分开fēnkāi。

这zhè几jǐ年nián，很hěn多duō中小zhōngxiǎo城市chéngshì已经yǐjīng让ràng大家dàjiā更gèng容易róngyì拿到nádào当地dāngdì户口hùkǒu了le。可是kěshì在zài北京běijīng、上海shànghǎi这样zhèyàng的de大城市dàchéngshì，拿ná户口hùkǒu还是háishi很hěn难nán。

中国zhōngguó人rén见面jiànmiàn的de时候shíhou，常常chángcháng会huì问wèn：“你nǐ是shì哪里nálǐ人rén？”你nǐ觉得juéde，一yí个gè人rén是shì哪里nálǐ人rén，是shì看kàn他tā出生chūshēng在zài哪里nálǐ，还是háishi看kàn他tā住zhù在zài哪里nálǐ？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
每	měi	each; every
生日	shēngrì	birthday
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
城市	chéngshì	city; town
常常	chángcháng	often; frequently
影响	yíngxiǎng	influence; effect; impact; to influence; to affect
生活	shēnghuó	life; to live
比如	bǐrú	for example; for instance; such as
先	xiān	first; in advance
重要	zhòngyào	important
或者	huòzhě	or

English (for the teacher)

In China, almost every family has a little booklet called the “hukou book”. It lists the name and birthday of everyone in the family, and where they live. That is the “hukou”.

What is a hukou for? In China, which city your hukou is in often affects your life. For example, when a child starts school, many cities first look at the family’s hukou.

Why does this matter? Because many people come from the countryside or small cities to work in big cities. They live there for years, find work and have children, but their hukou is still in their home town. So some children have to go back to their home town for school, apart from their parents.

In recent years, many small and medium cities have made it easier to get a local hukou. But in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, getting a hukou is still very hard.

When Chinese people meet, they often ask, “Where are you from?” What do you think: is where someone is from about where they were born, or where they live?