巴黎
bālí/pä⁵⁵ li³⁵/
The English phrase "Paris" is translated into Chinese as 巴黎 (bālí).
Meaning: capital of France (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 巴黎 | bālí | /pä⁵⁵ li³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pa²⁴ li⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 巴黎 | Pa-lê | /pa⁴⁴⁻²² le²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /pa³³ le²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
巴黎 refers to the capital of France.
Which one should you use?
The expression 小巴黎 means "little Paris" in English.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 巴黎 is identified as Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is Pa-lê and the IPA is /pä⁵⁵ li³⁵/.
Did you know?
- The first known appearance of the transcription 巴黎 dates back to 1838 in a work by the German missionary Karl Gützlaff.
- The phrase 小巴黎 is not only used for places that look like Paris but is also a common nickname for the French Concession area in Shanghai.
- The Chinese name 巴黎 is a phonetic transcription that approximates the French pronunciation rather than the English one.
Examples in context
- 巴黎在下雪。It's snowing in Paris.This sentence shows the use of 巴黎 in a weather context.Tatoeba #7771908 by jiangche, translation #2160697 by erikspen
- 巴黎在哪里？Where is Paris?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of 巴黎.Tatoeba #12615461 by Enzo, translation #35029 by CK
- 你有去過巴黎嗎？Have you ever been to Paris?This sentence asks about someone's travel experience regarding 巴黎.Tatoeba #4635636 by egg0073, translation #35020 by jakov
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking about their future travel plans.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你想去巴黎嗎？Nǐ xiǎng qù Bālí ma?Do you want to go to Paris?
- 梓涵 Zihan我想去巴黎旅行。Wǒ xiǎng qù Bālí lǚxíng.I want to travel to Paris.
- 志强 Zhiqiang巴黎有很多好吃的東西。Bālí yǒu hěnduō hǎo chī de dōngxī.There is a lot of delicious food in Paris.
- 梓涵 Zihan我也很期待去巴黎。Wǒ yě hěn qīdài qù Bālí.I am also looking forward to going to Paris.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paris” translations and entries 巴黎, 巴黎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 巴黎, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
