紐約州 / 纽约州
Niǔ Yuē zhōu
In Mandarin, "new york" is referred to as 紐約州 / 纽约州 (Niǔ Yuē zhōu). Wiktionary also lists 紐約 / 纽约 (Niǔyuē).
Meaning: state of the United States of America (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 紐約州 / 纽约州 | Niǔ Yuē zhōu |
| 紐約 / 纽约 | Niǔyuē |
The term is used to name the state of the United States of America. While 紐約 / 纽约 can refer to both the city and the state in casual conversation, adding the character for state clarifies your meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
In the form 紐約州 / 纽约州, the character 州 (zhōu) means 'state' and is appended to the name to specify the US state rather than the city.
Which one should you use?
The term 紐約 / 纽约 (Niǔyuē) can be used generally for New York, but adding 州 (zhōu) specifies the state. If you want to specify New York City specifically, you should add 市 (shì), which means 'city', to the name.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the term 紐約 may be used for New York. Regarding the spelling of the state, 纽约州 is used in Mainland China, whereas 紐約州 is used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
How do you pronounce it?
Niǔ Yuē zhōu
Did you know?
- The character 約 in 紐約 may have been influenced by southern Chinese dialects, such as Taishanese, which preserve a 'k' sound that has since disappeared from standard Mandarin pronunciation.
- The character 州 (zhōu) used for 'state' originally referred to a landmass surrounded by water or a river island.
- The name 紐約 is a phonetic transcription, meaning the characters were chosen primarily because they sound like 'New York' rather than because they have a literal meaning.
Examples in context
- 我想去纽约旅行。I want to travel to New York.
- 纽约是美国的一个重要城市。New York is an important city in the United States.
- 我下个月要去纽约看朋友。I'm going to New York next month to visit friends.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new york” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 紐約, CC BY-SA 4.0.
