中央直辖市

zhōng yāng zhí xiá shì

municipality, namely: Beijing 北京, Tianjin 天津, Shanghai 上海 and Chongqing 重慶|重庆, the first level administrative subdivision

province level city; also called directly governed city

zhōng

(bound form) China; Chinese

yāng

center

zhí

straight

xiá

linchpin (used to fasten a wheel to an axle)

shì

market