首都
shǒudū
The English phrase 'capital city' is translated into Chinese as 首都 (shǒudū). Wiktionary also lists 省會 / 省会 (shěnghuì) and 京城 (jīngchéng).
Meaning: city designated as seat of government (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 首都 | shǒudū | |
| 省會 / 省会 | shěnghuì | |
| 京城 | jīngchéng | literary |
| 龍城 / 龙城 | lóngchéng | literary |
| 首府 | shǒufǔ |
首都 is the standard, most common term used in modern news and daily conversation to denote a national capital.
Which one should you use?
首都 refers specifically to the capital of a country, whereas 省會 / 省会 refers to the capital of a province. Additionally, 首府 is used for the administrative seat of a state, province or territory, rather than a national capital.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
首都 is the formal way to say 'capital city'. In contrast, 京城 and 龍城 / 龙城 are literary terms and 京城 is a more literary or archaic way to refer to a capital city, often used in historical contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
shǒudū
Did you know?
- The term 龍城 / 龙城 literally means 'Dragon City'. In Chinese culture the dragon is the symbol of the emperor and his power and thus the capital was imagined as the place where the dragon resided.
- The word 都 in 首都 can also mean 'all' or 'entirely' in common conversation. This creates a linguistic contrast where the same sound represents both the center of power and a totalizing quantity.
- While 首都 is the standard term, the character 京 (jīng) is embedded in the names of many major Chinese cities, such as Beijing (北京), which literally means 'Northern Capital'.
Examples in context
- 我明天要去馬德里，也就是西班牙的首都。Tomorrow, I want to go to Madrid. It is the capital city of Spain.This sentence is useful for identifying Madrid as the 首都 of Spain.Tatoeba #6142054 by xjjAstrus, translation #7789277 by sharris123
- 2015 年 7 月，伊拉克首都巴格達出現攝氏 51.1 度的高溫。In July of 2015, the highest temperature in the capital city of Iraq, Baghdad, was 51.1 degrees Celsius.This sentence is useful for mentioning the temperature in the 首都 of Iraq.Tatoeba #6140900 by LeviHighway, translation #7790219 by sharris123
- 曼谷是泰国的首都。Bangkok is Thailand's capital city.This sentence is useful for stating that Bangkok is the 首都 of Thailand.Tatoeba #725593 by Vortarulo, translation #1528014 by CK
- 北京是中国的 首都 。Beijing is the capital city of China.
- 伦敦是英国的 首都 ，曾经是大英帝国的中心。London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, formerly the center of the British Empire.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a trip to France.
- 俊杰 Junjie我们要去法国的首都吗？Wǒmen yào qù Fǎguó de shǒudū ma?Are we going to the capital city of France?
- 佳怡 Jiayi对，我们要去巴黎。Duì, wǒmen yào qù Bālí.Yes, we are going to Paris.
- 俊杰 Junjie听说那里的博物馆很出名。Tīngshuō nàlǐ de bówùguǎn hěn chūmíng.I heard the museums there are very famous.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，佳怡也很期待去参观。Shì de, Jiāyí yě hěn qīdài qù cānguān.Yes, Jiayi is also looking forward to visiting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “capital city” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
