中国
Nakakuni[t͡ɕɨːɡo̞kɯ̟]Chūgoku
In Japanese, the word for the country China is 中国 (Nakakuni). Wiktionary also lists 支那 (Shina).
Meaning: country in East Asia (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中国 | Nakakuni | [t͡ɕɨːɡo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) | Chūgoku |
| 支那 | Shina | [ɕina̠] (narrow) | dated |
The standard term for the country in East Asia is 中国. While related terms exist, such as 磁器 for porcelain tableware or チャイナシンバル for a Turco-Chinese drum cymbal, 中国 refers specifically to the nation.
Which one should you use?
中国 is the standard and formal way to refer to the country, whereas 支那 is a dated term that is now considered derogatory.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
中国 is the formal and standard term used in modern Japanese. In contrast, 支那 is considered highly offensive and should be avoided.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify the Chinese language, you can add the suffix -go (meaning language) to the country name to form 中国語.
How do you pronounce it?
Nakakuni
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 支那 as it is considered offensive in modern Japanese. Use 中国 instead.
Did you know?
- While 中国 refers to the nation, the same two kanji characters can be read as 'Chūgoku', which is also the name of a specific region in western Japan.
- The derogatory term 支那 was originally a phonetic transcription of the Sanskrit word चीन, which referred to the 'Cina' people.
- While 中国 refers to the nation, the Japanese word for porcelain is 磁器, which shares no linguistic root with the country name.
Examples in context
- 中国にいるよ。I’m in China.This sentence shows how to use the form 中国 to state your current location.Tatoeba #9106958 by small_snow, translation #8865853 by MS
- 中国から来ました。I came from China.This sentence demonstrates how to use the form 中国 to state your origin.Tatoeba #2672966 by small_snow, translation #398936 by FeuDRenais
- 中国に行きたいな。I want to go to China.This sentence expresses a desire to visit using the form 中国.Tatoeba #9106957 by small_snow, translation #8810913 by CN
- Chūgoku ni wa yūmei na chūka ryōri ga arimasu. (中国には有名な中華料理があります。)In China, there are famous Chinese dishes.
- Ano hito wa Chūgoku kara kita hito desu. (あの人は中国から来た人です。)That person is someone who came from China.
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking about their travel plans.
- 結衣 Yui次の休みはどこに行くの？Tsugi no yasumi wa doko ni iku no?Where are you going for your next holiday?
- 大翔 Hiroto中国に旅行するつもりだよ。Chūgoku ni ryokō suru tsumori da yo.I plan to travel to China.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！中国で何をしたいですか？Ii desu ne! Chūgoku de nani o shitai desu ka?That's nice! What do you want to do in China?
- 大翔 Hiroto万里の長城を見てみたいんだ。Banri no Chōjō o mite mitai n da.I want to see the Great Wall.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “china” translations and entries 中国, 支那, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 中国, 支那, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
