<p>An appropriate word would be <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/countryman?s=t&amp;ld=1064" rel="noreferrer">countryman</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>noun, plural countrymen.</p>

<pre><code> 1. a native or inhabitant of one's own country.
 2. a native or inhabitant of a particular region.
 3. person who lives in the country.
 4. an unsophisticated person, as one who lives in or comes from a rural
    area; rustic.
</code></pre>
</blockquote>

<p>Meaning from <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/354029.htm" rel="noreferrer">Baidu</a>:</p>

<pre><code>1、老乡的范围可大可小。比如在市里看到同一县的人，在省里看到同一市的人，在全国看到同一省的人，都可以算做老乡
2、以前解放军对百姓们的称呼。
</code></pre>

<p>Translated to English:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>The usage of this word is flexible. For example, it can be applied to those living within the same district of a city, the same city
  within a province, or the same province within the country.</li>
  <li>The PLA used to address the commoners this way.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>Usage example:</p>

<pre><code>无论是因为工作漂泊在外，还是因为求学进去在外，一句老乡拉近了你我彼此之间的距离。
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T05:38:39.973Z
Unfortunately, the meaning "1" for countryman is dominant, so this doesn't work 100% as a translation for 老乡.
Colin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-29T15:29:14.177Z
2012-07-29T15:29:14.177Z
杨以轩
<p>It shouldn't be using technical translation. Because <code>老乡</code> the word itself is very informal and make people feel warm and relax. </p>

<p>I would use <code>pals from hometown</code> if I need to explain this word to foreigner</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-15T09:02:02.543Z
But 老乡 may not be pals, just people from the same hometown.
Lillian Chia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-14T06:44:23.923Z
2012-07-14T06:44:23.923Z
mko
<p>The English term that is closest to 老乡 is "country folk" or "countryman"</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk" rel="nofollow">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk</a></p>
  
  <ol start="3">
  <li>plural :  a certain kind, class, or group of people : old folks | |just plain folk | <strong>country folk</strong> </li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Folk</strong> is always plural.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>You can describe or address a group of 老乡 as "folks" </p></li>
<li><p>to describe one 老乡 , you can say "that countryman" </p></li>
<li>to address one of your own 老乡, you can say " Hey, fellow countryman!"</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-10T16:58:52.657Z
2016-10-10T16:58:52.657Z
Tang Ho
<p>I can't help but think of "homeboys"/"homies"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-22T08:50:23.567Z
This does not mean what you think it means - 老乡 means someone who was from the same region that the person was born/raised in, and "homeboy" definitely doesn't mean that.
Qwerp-Derp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-17T16:56:21.623Z
2017-05-17T16:56:21.623Z
Idiot
<p>老乡 is a bit narrower than, but related to the Yiddish לאַנדסמאַן - landsman (with "a"s like the "o" in bottle and a true "s" like pass, not a /z/ like pans).  That word, according to Wikipedia, has made it into English as <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/landsman" rel="nofollow">landsman</a>, though I don't think it's widespread (I haven't heard anyone but my mom use it - and then only when describing the Yiddish word).</p>

<p>If you don't like that, maybe an even broader term like compatriot, perhaps? or homey?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-06T06:01:19.350Z
2012-06-06T06:01:19.350Z
Kang Ming
<p>Probably best to use "someone/people from the same/my hometown". </p>

<p>There are some other options which would work in specific contexts, though:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>paisan</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>which is an Italian loanword to American English. It can mean someone from the same hometown or region. </p>

<p>You could even use:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>laoxiang</strong> or <strong>lao-hsiang</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>as long as you explain it to anyone who might not be familiar. It has become used in English <a href="https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=paisan%2CPaisan%2Claoxiang&amp;year_start=1960&amp;year_end=2000&amp;corpus=15&amp;smoothing=3&amp;share=&amp;direct_url=t1%3B%2Cpaisan%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CPaisan%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Claoxiang%3B%2Cc0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">since the 1990s</a>.</p>

<p>And perhaps, lightheartedly:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>hometown mafia</strong>, analogous to phrases such as <strong>PayPal mafia</strong></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-05-12T07:02:07.483Z
2020-03-23T04:37:25.773Z
2020-03-23T04:37:25.773Z
Colin
<p>In Guangdong, especially in Guangzhou the term 老鄉 is used ironically as a derogatory term for someone from a different province or by Cantonese speakers for someone who don't speak the language.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-05T09:28:58.623Z
good explanation
Daniel Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-04T17:08:05.137Z
2017-05-04T17:08:05.137Z
Gary Quan
<p>In what contexts can <code>老乡</code> used? How do they translate to English?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-03T15:26:36.110Z
I guess you are not satisfied with "fellow townsman; fellow villager; sb from the same hometown"?  http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E8%80%81%E4%B9%A1
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-03T15:31:11.863Z
yeah, expecting some authentic expression; maybe there isn't one
sma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-03T15:33:57.660Z
I guess "fellow townsman" and "fellow villager" will be the best what you can get
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-03T15:47:26.563Z
Can we improve the question body? @pegausbupt please write more context and add detail.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-03T23:36:15.127Z
Thanks for the edit, but it's still insufficient. The question is too open-ended. @pegausbupt In what situation you'd use this translation? We don't want answers to list every single possible situation.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-10T19:03:42.600Z
find "good translations" at jukuu: 58 example sentences
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-04T21:06:57.060Z
@Alenanno's remark is still relevant.  老乡 has too many senses, and of course no one English phrase suits all.
Colin McLarty
<translation><word>
What is a good English translation for "老乡"?
# What is a good English translation for "老乡"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-06-03)

In what contexts can `老乡` used? How do they translate to English?

**Tags:** translation, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I guess you are not satisfied with "fellow townsman; fellow villager; sb from the same hometown"?  http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E8%80%81%E4%B9%A1  
> **username_0**: yeah, expecting some authentic expression; maybe there isn't one  
> **username_1**: I guess "fellow townsman" and "fellow villager" will be the best what you can get  
> **username_2**: Can we improve the question body? @pegausbupt please write more context and add detail.  
> **username_2**: Thanks for the edit, but it's still insufficient. The question is too open-ended. @pegausbupt In what situation you'd use this translation? We don't want answers to list every single possible situation.  
> **username_3**: find "good translations" at jukuu: 58 example sentences  
> **username_4**: @username_2's remark is still relevant.  老乡 has too many senses, and of course no one English phrase suits all.  

---

## 7 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-07-29. Score: 5

An appropriate word would be [countryman](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/countryman?s=t&ld=1064)

> noun, plural countrymen.
>
> ```
>  1. a native or inhabitant of one's own country.
>  2. a native or inhabitant of a particular region.
>  3. person who lives in the country.
>  4. an unsophisticated person, as one who lives in or comes from a rural
>     area; rustic.
>
> ```

Meaning from [Baidu](http://baike.baidu.com/view/354029.htm):

```
1、老乡的范围可大可小。比如在市里看到同一县的人，在省里看到同一市的人，在全国看到同一省的人，都可以算做老乡
2、以前解放军对百姓们的称呼。

```

Translated to English:

> 1. The usage of this word is flexible. For example, it can be applied to those living within the same district of a city, the same city
>    within a province, or the same province within the country.
> 2. The PLA used to address the commoners this way.

Usage example:

```
无论是因为工作漂泊在外，还是因为求学进去在外，一句老乡拉近了你我彼此之间的距离。

```

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Unfortunately, the meaning "1" for countryman is dominant, so this doesn't work 100% as a translation for 老乡.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2012-07-14. Score: 1

It shouldn't be using technical translation. Because `老乡` the word itself is very informal and make people feel warm and relax.

I would use `pals from hometown` if I need to explain this word to foreigner

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: But 老乡 may not be pals, just people from the same hometown.  

---

### Answer by username_9 on 2016-10-10. Score: 0

The English term that is closest to 老乡 is "country folk" or "countryman"

> <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk>
>
> 3. plural : a certain kind, class, or group of people : old folks | |just plain folk | **country folk**

**Folk** is always plural.

* You can describe or address a group of 老乡 as "folks"
* to describe one 老乡 , you can say "that countryman"
* to address one of your own 老乡, you can say " Hey, fellow countryman!"


---

### Answer by username_10 on 2017-05-17. Score: 0

I can't help but think of "homeboys"/"homies"

> **Comments:**
> **username_11**: This does not mean what you think it means - 老乡 means someone who was from the same region that the person was born/raised in, and "homeboy" definitely doesn't mean that.  

---

### Answer by username_12 on 2012-06-06. Score: 0

老乡 is a bit narrower than, but related to the Yiddish לאַנדסמאַן - landsman (with "a"s like the "o" in bottle and a true "s" like pass, not a /z/ like pans). That word, according to Wikipedia, has made it into English as [landsman](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/landsman), though I don't think it's widespread (I haven't heard anyone but my mom use it - and then only when describing the Yiddish word).

If you don't like that, maybe an even broader term like compatriot, perhaps? or homey?


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-05-12. Score: 0

Probably best to use "someone/people from the same/my hometown".

There are some other options which would work in specific contexts, though:

> **paisan**

which is an Italian loanword to American English. It can mean someone from the same hometown or region.

You could even use:

> **laoxiang** or **lao-hsiang**

as long as you explain it to anyone who might not be familiar. It has become used in English [since the 1990s](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=paisan%2CPaisan%2Claoxiang&year_start=1960&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cpaisan%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CPaisan%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Claoxiang%3B%2Cc0).

And perhaps, lightheartedly:

> **hometown mafia**, analogous to phrases such as **PayPal mafia**


---

### Answer by username_13 on 2017-05-04. Score: 0

In Guangdong, especially in Guangzhou the term 老鄉 is used ironically as a derogatory term for someone from a different province or by Cantonese speakers for someone who don't speak the language.

> **Comments:**
> **username_14**: good explanation  

---

