朝鮮 / 朝鲜
Cháoxiǎn
To say North Korea in Chinese, use 朝鮮 / 朝鲜 (Cháoxiǎn). If unsure, use 朝鮮 / 朝鲜. Wiktionary also lists 北朝鮮 / 北朝鲜 (Běi Cháoxiǎn) and 北韓 / 北韩 (Běihán).
Meaning: a country in East Asia whose territory consists of the northern part of Korea (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 朝鮮 / 朝鲜 | Cháoxiǎn | |
| 北朝鮮 / 北朝鲜 | Běi Cháoxiǎn | uncommon |
| 北韓 / 北韩 | Běihán | Hong Kong, Taiwan |
朝鲜 is the formal name for North Korea used in mainland China.
What does it mean word for word?
In 北朝鮮 and 北韓, the character 北 means north.
Which one should you use?
北朝鮮 / 北朝鲜 (Běi Cháoxiǎn) exists but is uncommon.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In mainland China the standard name is 朝鲜. In Taiwan and Hong Kong the standard name is 北韓 (Běihán).
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is Cháoxiǎn.
Did you know?
- The term 朝鮮 / 朝鲜 is often translated as the 'Land of the Morning Calm' because the characters can be interpreted as 'morning' (朝) and 'calm' (鮮).
- While 北韓 is standard in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the character 韓 (Hán) is derived from the name of a specific ancient tribe in the southern part of the peninsula.
- Depending on the region, the choice between 朝鲜 and 北韓 can immediately reveal a speaker's political or regional alignment before they finish their sentence.
Examples in context
- 朝鲜是一个拥有丰富历史和文化的国家。North Korea is a country with a rich history and culture.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “north korea” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 朝鮮, CC BY-SA 4.0.
