中国

中國

Zhōngguó

noun HSK 1 #1,406

Meanings

Literally 'Middle Kingdom' — reflecting the ancient belief that China was the center of civilization.

Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó.

I want to go to China.

Zhōngguó hěn dà.

China is very big.

Nǐ qù guò Zhōngguó ma?

Have you been to China?

history

The term 中国 dates back over 3,000 years. A bronze vessel from the Western Zhou dynasty contains the earliest known use of the characters.

culture

中国人 (Zhōngguó rén) means 'Chinese person.' The full official name is 中华人民共和国 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó, People's Republic of China).

中 zhōng

国 guó