長城 / 长城
Chángchéng
The phrase 'great wall of china' in Chinese is 長城 / 长城 (Chángchéng). If unsure, use 長城 / 长城. Wiktionary also lists 萬里長城 / 万里长城 (Wànlǐ Chángchéng).
Meaning: Chinese fortification (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 長城 / 长城 | Chángchéng |
| 萬里長城 / 万里长城 | Wànlǐ Chángchéng |
The term refers to the famous Chinese fortification.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 長城 / 长城 literally means 'long wall'. The term 萬里長城 / 万里长城 literally means 'the ten-thousand-li long wall', where 'li' is a traditional unit of distance.
Which one should you use?
While 'Great Wall' is the standard English name, in Chinese, 長城 / 长城 is the most common way to refer to it without the 'ten-thousand-li' prefix.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the Great Wall of China is known as 长城 (coeng4 sing4).
How do you pronounce it?
Chángchéng
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese, 長城 / 长城 is often used as a metaphor for any strong defensive barrier, including a 'firewall' used to block internet content.
- The term 萬里長城 / 万里长城 is frequently used in Chinese idioms and poetry to symbolize persistence or a formidable obstacle that is nearly impossible to overcome.
- In the phrase 萬里長城 / 万里长城, the number 'ten thousand' is used as an idiom for 'uncountable' or 'immeasurably' rather than a literal mathematical count.
Examples in context
- 万里长城是中国最有名的建筑之一。The Ten Thousand Li Long Wall is one of the most famous structures in China.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great wall of china” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 萬里長城, CC BY-SA 4.0.
