臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾
táiwān
The English phrase Taiwan can be said in Chinese as 臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾 (táiwān). If unsure, use 臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾.
Meaning: East Asian country (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾 | táiwān | |
| 臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾 | Tâi-oân | Hokkien |
Taiwan refers to the East Asian country.
Which one should you use?
台灣 is the standard Mandarin Chinese term for Taiwan used in formal contexts. In colloquial speech, you may hear people refer to the country using only the first character, 台. For official and diplomatic contexts, the official name is 中華民國 (Republic of China).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form Тэван is used in Dungan. The form 臺灣 / 台灣 / 台湾 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien pronunciation is Tâi-oân.
Did you know?
- Before it meant the whole island, the term 臺灣 referred specifically to a sandbank peninsula that has since silted up and become part of the land in modern Tainan.
Examples in context
- 中華民國是台灣的官方名稱。The Republic of China is Taiwan's official name.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “taiwan” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 臺灣, CC BY-SA 4.0.
