首爾 / 首尔
Shǒu'ěr
In Chinese, the name for the capital of South Korea, Seoul, is written as 首爾 / 首尔 (Shǒu'ěr). Wiktionary also lists 漢城 / 汉城 (Hànchéng).
Meaning: capital of South Korea (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 首爾 / 首尔 | Shǒu'ěr |
| 漢城 / 汉城 | Hànchéng |
The term refers to the capital city of South Korea.
What does it mean word for word?
The name 首爾 / 首尔 is a phonetic transliteration of the Korean pronunciation of Seoul, rather than a translation of its meaning.
Which one should you use?
首爾 / 首尔 is the standard modern transliteration used in news, official documents and contemporary media. In contrast, 漢城 / 汉城 is the former name for Seoul and is still used by older generations or in historical contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
Shǒu'ěr
Did you know?
- The change from 漢城 to 首爾 was an official request made by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ensure the city's name was consistent globally.
- The modern name 首爾 / 首尔 is a clever piece of linguistic engineering called 'phono-semantic matching'. It uses Chinese characters that sound similar to the Korean word 'Seoul' while also carrying positive meanings.
- The name 首爾 / 首尔 was only officially standardized in 2005, meaning that for much of the 20th century, Chinese speakers almost exclusively used the older term.
Examples in context
- 我下个月打算去首尔。I'm planning a trip to Seoul next month.
- 首尔以其活力四溢的夜生活而闻名。Seoul is famous for its vibrant nightlife.
- 奶奶以前住在汉城。Grandma used to live in Seoul.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seoul” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 漢城, 首爾, CC BY-SA 4.0.
