How to Say "China" in French - How To Say Guide

Chine

/ʃin/feminine

China in French is Chine.

Chine refers to the country in East Asia. This is distinct from porcelaine, which refers to porcelain tableware.

Meaning: country in East Asia (name)

Related words

When expressing that someone or something is in or going to China, use the preposition en (e.g., en Chine) rather than en la or à la.

/ʃin/

The name Chine actually shares a common ancestor with the Sanskrit word cīna, which is believed to have referred to the people of the region.
While Chine is the country, the French use the word chinoiserie to describe a European artistic style that imitates Chinese motifs.
Historically, French writers used the term Cathay in literature to refer to Northern China, mirroring the English distinction.

Il revint de Chine.
He came back from China.
The first sentence shows how to use Chine when talking about returning from a location.
Tatoeba #685454 by U2FS, translation #387585 by Mouseneb
La Chine a résisté.
China resisted.
The second sentence uses Chine as the subject of a sentence.
Tatoeba #11040800 by Amastan, translation #10694140 by Amastan
Aime-t-il la Chine ?
Does he like China?
The third sentence uses Chine to ask about a preference for the country.
Tatoeba #1123145 by sacredceltic, translation #1098265 by cntrational
Les relations économiques entre la France et la Chine sont en plein essor.
The economic relations between France and China are booming.
La République populaire de Chine est le pays le plus peuplé au monde.
The People's Republic of China is the most populous country in the world.
J'ai toujours rêvé de visiter la Chine. Et toi ?
I have always dreamt of visiting China. How about you?
304 more sentences on Tatoeba

Léa and Nathan are discussing a travel itinerary.

Sources

Wiktionary, “china” translations and entries Chine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries Chine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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