硅谷
Guīgǔ
硅谷 (Guīgǔ) is the Mandarin Chinese way to say Silicon Valley. Wiktionary also lists 矽谷 (Xīgǔ).
Meaning: nickname for region in San Francisco (name)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 硅谷 | Guīgǔ |
| 矽谷 | Xīgǔ |
The term is a nickname for region in San Francisco (name).
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 硅 (guī), meaning silicon and 谷 (gǔ), meaning valley.
Which one should you use?
The character 硅 is the standard modern way to write 'silicon' in Mainland China, while 矽 is the traditional way used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Is it said differently in some regions?
硅谷 is the standard form in Mainland China, whereas 矽谷 is used in Taiwan.
How do you pronounce it?
Guīgǔ
Did you know?
- Because 谷 can also mean 'grain' or 'cereal' depending on the tone, a misspelling or mispronunciation could accidentally turn 'Silicon Valley' into 'Silicon Grain'.
- While most foreign names are translated by sound in Mandarin, 硅谷 is a 'calque', meaning it was built strictly from the literal meanings of 'silicon' and 'valley'.
- The term 硅谷 is often used as a generic metaphor in Chinese to describe any emerging high-tech hub, such as a specialized tech district in Shenzhen.
Examples in context
- 昨天我看了一个关于硅谷的纪录片Yesterday I watched a documentary on Silicon Valley.
- 很多科技公司都在硅谷。Hěnduō kējì gōngsī dōu zài Guīgǔ.Many tech companies are in Silicon Valley.
- 他打算去硅谷工作。Tā dǎsuàn qù Guīgǔ gōngzuò.He plans to go to Silicon Valley to work.
- 硅谷的气候很舒服。Guīgǔ de qìhòu hěn shūfu.The weather in Silicon Valley is very comfortable.
Example conversation
浩然 and 晓雯 are discussing career opportunities.
- 浩然 Haoran你听说过硅谷吗？Nǐ tīngshuōguò Guīgǔ ma?Have you heard of Silicon Valley?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen当然，那是科技中心。Dāngrán, nà shì kējì zhōngxīn.Of course, it is a tech hub.
- 浩然 Haoran我想去那里发展。Wǒ xiǎng qù nàlǐ fāzhǎn.I want to go there to develop my career.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那是一个很好的机会。Nà shì yīgè hěn hǎo de jīhuì.That is a very good opportunity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silicon valley” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 硅谷, CC BY-SA 4.0.
