英联邦
yīng lián bāng
The English phrase 'commonwealth' is translated into Mandarin as 英联邦 (yīng lián bāng).
In Mandarin, 英联邦 is used specifically to refer to the Commonwealth of Nations, the political association of sovereign states, rather than a generic 'commonwealth' in the sense of shared resources.
Meaning: form of government (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 英 (yīng, abbreviation for Britain), 联 (lián, to connect/unite) and 邦 (bāng, state/nation), literally meaning 'British United States/Nations'.
How do you pronounce it?
yīng lián bāng
Did you know?
- The character 英 in 英联邦 is also the standalone word for 'hero' or 'brave' in Mandarin. This means the term for 'commonwealth' visually contains a character associated with valor and excellence.
- The character 联 in 英联邦 is the same root used in 联合国 ('United Nations'), creating a visual linguistic link between the British association and the global UN body.
- While 英联邦 refers to the Commonwealth of Nations, Mandarin uses a completely different word, 共同体, to describe a 'community of shared interests' or a general commonwealth. The two are not interchangeable in a sentence.
Examples in context
- 我來自一個英聯邦國家。I am from a Commonwealth country.
- 英聯邦運動會每四年舉行一次。The Commonwealth Games are held every four years.
- 我們的國家是英聯邦的成員之一。Our nation is a member of the Commonwealth.
- 英聯邦促進經濟合作。The Commonwealth promotes economic cooperation.
- 他是英联邦成员国的公民。Tā shì Yīngliánbāng chéngyuánguó de gōngmín.He is a citizen of a Commonwealth member state.
- 英联邦在国际事务中很重要。Yīngliánbāng zài guójì shìwù zhōng hěn zhòngyào.The Commonwealth is very important in international affairs.
- 很多国家都属于英联邦。Hěnduō guójiā dōu shǔyú Yīngliánbāng.Many countries belong to the Commonwealth.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a geography project.
- 雨婷 Yuting你研究英联邦国家了吗？Nǐ yánjiū Yīngliánbāng guójiā le ma?Did you research the Commonwealth countries?
- 俊杰 Junjie我已经查过了。Wǒ yǐjīng chá guò le.I have already looked them up.
- 雨婷 Yuting英联邦的成员很多吗？Yīngliánbāng de chéngyuán hěn duō ma?Are there many members of the Commonwealth?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，有五十多个国家。Shì de, yǒu wǔshí duō gè guójiā.Yes, there are more than fifty countries.
