首页 literally means 'first page' — 首 (shǒu) means 'first' or 'head', and 页 (yè) means 'page'. In modern usage, it most commonly refers to the main landing page of a website — the first page users see when they visit a site. This page typically contains navigation links, key information, and highlights of the site’s content.

Less frequently but still correctly, 首页 can also mean the front page or title page of a physical book or document — especially in publishing or library contexts. Unlike English 'home page', which is almost exclusively digital, 首页 retains this dual meaning depending on context. It’s a compound noun that functions as a single lexical unit and doesn’t take measure words in standard usage (e.g., you say 进入首页, not *一个首页).