菲律宾
fēilǜbīn
The English phrase 'Philippines' is translated into Chinese as 菲律宾 (fēilǜbīn).
菲律宾 is the name used to refer to the Republic of the Philippines.
Meaning: Republic of the Philippines (name)
Which one should you use?
菲律宾 is the standard formal name, while the single character 菲 serves as an informal abbreviation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the formal term used is 菲律賓.
How do you pronounce it?
fēilǜbīn
Did you know?
- While 菲律宾 is the standard name, historical Chinese texts from the Ming dynasty referred to the islands as 吕宋 based on the island of Luzon.
- The choice of characters for 菲律宾 follows a traditional pattern where 'elegant' or 'beautiful' characters are selected to give the transliterated name a pleasant aesthetic quality.
- The character 宾 (bīn) often refers to a 'guest' or 'visitor', which is a common way many foreign country names are constructed in Chinese.
Examples in context
- 当西班牙殖民了菲律宾时，是从墨西哥城管理它的。于是他加禄语是收到了墨西哥式西班牙语的影响，而不卡斯蒂利亚式的。When Spain colonized the Philippines, they were administrated by Mexico City. So it was Mexican Spanish, not Castilian Spanish, that influenced Tagalog.This sentence is useful for discussing the historical context of how Spain colonized 菲律宾.Tatoeba #800937 by U2FS, translation #799842 by papabear
- 当我计划我的旅行时，菲律宾是我的首选目的地。When I plan my trip, the Philippines is my top choice destination.
- 我们这个周末要去菲律宾度假，听说那里很美！We're going to the Philippines for a vacation this weekend. I heard it's really beautiful!
- 我哋計緊去菲律賓旅行，好期待呀！We're planning a trip to the Philippines, and I'm really looking forward to it!
- 我打算明年去菲律宾旅游。Wǒ dǎsuàn míngnián qù Fēilǜbīn lǚyóu.I plan to travel to the Philippines next year.
- 菲律宾有很多美丽的岛屿。Fēilǜbīn yǒu hěnduō měilì de dǎoyǔ.The Philippines has many beautiful islands.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their upcoming vacation plans.
- 雨婷 Yuting你暑假想去哪里？Nǐ shǔjià xiǎng qù nǎlǐ?Where do you want to go this summer vacation?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想去菲律宾看海。Wǒ xiǎng qù Fēilǜbīn kàn hǎi.I want to go to the Philippines to see the ocean.
- 雨婷 Yuting那里的气候很热吧？Nàlǐ de qìhòu hěn rè ba?The climate there is very hot, right?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，不过景色很美。Shì de, bùguò jǐngsè hěn měi.Yes, but the scenery is beautiful.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
