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The whole city considered as a single entity.
整座城市都被洪水淹没了。
The entire city was submerged by the flood.
整座城市都在庆祝胜利。
The whole city is celebrating the victory.
Used to emphasize the entirety of a city's area or population in a collective sense.
Use this phrase when emphasizing the collective experience of an entire city, such as in news reports, literature, or formal speeches. Avoid using it for small towns or when referring to parts of a city.
座 (zuò) is used as a classifier for large, fixed structures like cities, mountains, or buildings. Do not confuse it with other classifiers like 个 (gè) or 条 (tiáo).
整 (zhěng) means 'whole' or 'entire', 座 (zuò) is a classifier for large buildings or cities, and 城市 (chéngshì) means 'city'. The phrase combines these to emphasize totality.
This phrase is commonly used in formal or literary contexts to describe collective experiences affecting an entire urban area. It is not used for small towns or rural areas.