韓國 / 韩国
Hánguó
South Korea in Chinese is 韓國 / 韩国 (Hánguó). Wiktionary also lists 南韓 / 南韩 (Nánhán) and 南朝鮮 / 南朝鲜.
Meaning: a country in East Asia, comprising the southern half of the Korean Peninsula (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 韓國 / 韩国 | Hánguó | |
| 南韓 / 南韩 | Nánhán | |
| 南朝鮮 / 南朝鲜 | historical |
The term refers to the country in East Asia comprising the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.
Which one should you use?
韓國 / 韩国 is the most common way to refer to the country in everyday conversation and media. 南朝鮮 / 南朝鲜 is a more politically sensitive term that is often used in specific historical contexts or to provide a direct contrast with North Korea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mainland China, the simplified characters 韩国 are used. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, the traditional characters 韓國 or 南韓 are used.
How do you pronounce it?
Hánguó
Did you know?
- Historically, Chinese records referred to the region using the character 高麗, which is the origin of the English word 'Corea' and the 'K' sound in 'Korea'.
- While 韓國 / 韩国 refers to the country, the word 韓 / 韩 is also a common surname used by many people in China.
- The character 韓 in 韓國 is a phonetic loan that does not describe the country's geography but instead approximates the sound of the native Korean word for the nation.
Examples in context
- 就南韩的经济增长进行了详细讨论。Detailed discussions have taken place on South Korea's economic growth.
- 我在韩国度过了一个美好的假期。I had a wonderful vacation in South Korea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south korea” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
