非洲
Fēizhōu
In Chinese, the English phrase "Africa" is translated as 非洲 (Fēizhōu). Wiktionary also lists 阿非利加 (Āfēilìjiā).
Meaning: continent (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 非洲 | Fēizhōu | |
| 阿非利加 | Āfēilìjiā | rare |
The term refers to the continent of Africa. Depending on your specific focus, you might use more precise terms such as 非洲大陆 to refer specifically to the African continent or 非洲地区 when referring to Africa as a region or a specific area.
Which one should you use?
非洲 is the standard name for the continent. In contrast, 阿非利加 is a phonetic transliteration of the word "Africa" that is rarely used in modern Chinese.
How do you pronounce it?
Fēizhōu
Did you know?
- In modern digital slang, Chinese users sometimes use the characters for 非洲 to describe 'bad luck', referring to a 'dark' or 'unlucky' streak in gaming loot boxes.
- The standard term 非洲 is actually a contraction of 阿非利加洲, where 洲 means 'continent'.
- Because Chinese uses characters to represent sounds for foreign names, the characters in 阿非利加 have their own individual meanings, but they are chosen here only for their sound.
Examples in context
- 您去過非洲嗎？Have you ever been to Africa?This sentence is useful for asking about travel experience with the form 非洲.Tatoeba #13550627 by LeviHighway, translation #67754 by CK
- 马里是在撒哈拉以南非洲最贫穷的国家之一。Mali is one of the poorest countries in Subsaharan Africa.This sentence is useful for describing the economic status of a country within the form 非洲.Tatoeba #9972807 by GlossaMatik, translation #2381 by Zifre
- 一些大学生在假期去非洲做志愿者 ，帮助当地完善野生生物管理。During the holidays, some university students go to Africa as volunteers and help to perfect local wildlife conservation.This sentence is useful for discussing volunteer work in the form 非洲.Tatoeba #736737 by GlossaMatik, translation #736740 by eastasiastudent
- 我对非洲文化很感兴趣。I am very interested in African culture.
- 非洲地区的经济发展迅速。The economic development in the African region is rapidly progressing.
- 我们去非洲玩的时候一定要拍照留念。We must take photos as a keepsake when we visit Africa.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a travel documentary.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你看过关于非洲的纪录片吗？Nǐ kànguò guānyú Fēizhōu de jìlùpiàn ma？Have you seen the documentary about Africa?
- 俊杰 Junjie看过，那里的自然风光太美了。Kànguò, nàlǐ de zìrán fēngguāng tài měile.I have, the natural scenery there is so beautiful.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也想去非洲旅行一次。Wǒ yě xiǎng qù Fēizhōu lǚxíng yīcì.I also want to travel to Africa once.
- 俊杰 Junjie好主意，我们可以一起计划。Hǎo zhǔyì, wǒmen kěyǐ yīqǐ jìhuà.Great idea, we can plan it together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “africa” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 阿非利加, 非洲, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
