Chinese character for China: 中国 (Zhōngguó)
The Chinese word for China is 中国 (Zhōngguó). It literally means 'Middle Kingdom' or 'Central Country'. 中 means middle and 国 means country.
How 中国 is built
中 (zhōng) is a line 丨 passing through the center of a box 口, often explained as a flagpole marking the center of a camp; its meaning is middle or center. 国 (guó) has a border 囗 surrounding 玉 (yù, jade), a treasure inside a country's borders. The traditional form 國 has 或 inside the border, showing a weapon guarding the land. Together, 中国 is the Middle Country.
中 zhōng · middle
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
Origin hint: A line 丨 through the center of a box 口 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
国 guó · country
- 囗wéi — enclosure
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 玉yù — jade
- 王wáng — king
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 丶 — dot
- 王wáng — king
Origin hint: Treasure 玉 within a country's borders 囗 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 中国 is used
Other ways to say China
- 中文 Zhōngwén — the Chinese language (especially written)
- 中 zhōng — middle, center
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 中国 (simplified) and 中國 (traditional) differ in the second character; choose the form your readers use.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for China?
中国 (Zhōngguó) means “China”. In traditional characters it is written 中國.
How do you pronounce 中国?
中国 is pronounced Zhōngguó.
Is 中国 simplified or traditional?
中国 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore; 中國 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.