中國

Earliest attested on the Western Zhou bronze vessel He zun. See Names of China#Zhongguo.

中國

1. China (a country in Asia; capital: Beijing)

   中國和平崛起／中国和平崛起  ―  Zhōngguó hépíng juéqǐ  ―  China's peaceful rise

   中國社會科學院／中国社会科学院  ―  Zhōngguó shèhuìkēxuéyuàn  ―  the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

   中國典籍英譯／中国典籍英译  ―  Zhōngguó diǎnjí yīngyì  ―  English translations of Chinese classics

   干涉中國內政／干涉中国内政  ―  gānshè Zhōngguó nèizhèng  ―  to interfere in China's internal affairs

   中國的首都是北京。 [MSC, trad.]
   中国的首都是北京。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhōngguó de shǒudū shì Běijīng. [Pinyin]

   The capital of China is Beijing.

   他現在在中國旅行。 [MSC, trad.]
   他现在在中国旅行。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā xiànzài zài Zhōngguó lǚxíng. [Pinyin]

   He's travelling around China right now.

   你喜歡中國文學嗎？ [Taiwanese Mandarin, trad.]
   你喜欢中国文学吗？ [Taiwanese Mandarin, simp.]

   Nǐ xǐhuān Zhōngguó wénxué ma? [Pinyin]

   Do you like Chinese literature?

   • 伏以佛者，夷狄之一法耳，自後漢時流入中國，上古未嘗有也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     伏以佛者，夷狄之一法耳，自后汉时流入中国，上古未尝有也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 819, Han Yu, 論佛骨表

     Fú yǐ fó zhě, yídí zhī yī fǎ ěr, zì Hòuhàn shí liúrù Zhōngguó, shànggǔ wèicháng yǒu yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 問者曰：四夷、十國，皆非中國之有也，四夷之封爵朝貢則書，而十國之不書何也？曰：以中國而視夷狄，夷狄之可也。以五代之君而視十國，夷狄之則未可也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     问者曰：四夷、十国，皆非中国之有也，四夷之封爵朝贡则书，而十国之不书何也？曰：以中国而视夷狄，夷狄之可也。以五代之君而视十国，夷狄之则未可也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 11th century, Ouyang Xiu, Historical Records of the Five Dynasties

     Wèn zhě yuē: sìyí, shíguó, jiē fēi Zhōngguó zhī yǒu yě, sìyí zhī fēngjué cháogòng zé shū, ér shíguó zhī bù shū hé yě? Yuē: yǐ Zhōngguó ér shì yídí, yídí zhī kě yě. Yǐ wǔdài zhī jūn ér shì shíguó, yídí zhī zé wèikě yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 唐人到彼，皆不與之言及中國糞壅之事，恐為所鄙。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     唐人到彼，皆不与之言及中国粪壅之事，恐为所鄙。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 1300, 周達觀 (Zhou Daguan), 真臘風土記 (The Customs of Cambodia)

     Tángrén dào bǐ, jiē bù yǔ zhī yánjí Zhōngguó fèn yōng zhī shì, kǒng wéi suǒ bǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 國之語音，異乎中國，與文字不相流通，故愚民有所欲言，而終不得伸其情者多矣。 [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]

     From: c. 1446, Sejong the Great, 訓民正音 (Hunminjeongeum)

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 自我朝入主中土，君臨天下，并蒙古極邊諸部落，俱歸版圖，是中國之疆土開拓廣遠，乃中國臣民之大幸，何得尚有華夷中外之分論哉！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     自我朝入主中土，君临天下，并蒙古极边诸部落，俱归版图，是中国之疆土开拓广远，乃中国臣民之大幸，何得尚有华夷中外之分论哉！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 1730, Yongzheng Emperor, 大義覺迷錄

     Zì wǒ cháo rùzhǔ zhōngtǔ, jūnlín tiānxià, bìng Ménggǔ jíbiān zhū bùluò, jù guī bǎntú, shì Zhōngguó zhī jiāngtǔ kāituò guǎngyuǎn, nǎi Zhōngguó chénmín zhī dàxìng, hédé shàngyǒu huáyí zhōngwài zhī fēn lùn zāi! [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 有幾多樹木呢？中國人烟稠集，樹木無多。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     有几多树木呢？中国人烟稠集，树木无多。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 1841, Elijah Coleman Bridgman, A Chinese Chrestomathy in the Canton Dialect, page 345

     jau⁵ gei² do¹ syu⁶ muk⁶ ne¹? zung¹ gwok³ jan⁴ jin¹ cau⁴ zaap⁶, syu⁶ muk⁶ mou⁴ do¹. [Jyutping]

     How much of it is forest? The population of China being very dense, the forests cannot be extensive.

This word referred to various states and regions throughout history:

• Western Zhou Dynasty [1046–771 BCE]:

  the region controlled by the Western Zhou Dynasty, covering the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi, as well as the basin between the Yellow River and the Luo River.

• Eastern Zhou Dynasty [770–221 BCE]:

  all of the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

• Since Qin Dynasty [221 BCE–1911 CE]:

  the land controlled by the imperial regime of the Central Plain - i.e. the ancestors of modern China.

• After the Xinhai Revolution [1911 CE]:

  shorthand for 中華民國／中华民国 (Zhōnghuá Mínguó).

• After the founding of the People's Republic of China [1949 CE]:

  shorthand for 中華人民共和國／中华人民共和国 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó).

• (China):

中國

1. (Classical) royal court; imperial court; imperial household; imperial government
2. (Classical) central part of a country (historically, commonly known as the capital city or the main region, where an emperor or other ruler resides)

   • 惠此中國，以綏四方。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     惠此中国，以绥四方。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Huì cǐ zhōngguó, yǐ suí sìfāng. [Pinyin]

     Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom,
     To secure the repose of the four quarters of it.

   • 我欲中國而授孟子室。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     我欲中国而授孟子室。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wǒ yù zhōngguó ér shòu Mèngzǐ shì. [Pinyin]

     I wish to give Mencius a house, somewhere in the middle of the kingdom.

3. (Classical) the Central Plain (area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization)

   • 欲辟土地，朝秦楚，莅中國而撫四夷也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     欲辟土地，朝秦楚，莅中国而抚四夷也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yù pì tǔdì, cháo Qín Chǔ, lì Zhōngguó ér fǔ sìyí yě. [Pinyin]

     You wish to enlarge your territories, to have Qin and Chu wait at your court, to rule the Middle Kingdom, and to attract to you the barbarous tribes that surround it.

   • 吾聞中國之君子，明乎禮義而陋於知人心。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     吾闻中国之君子，明乎礼义而陋于知人心。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Wú wén Zhōngguó zhī jūnzǐ, míng hū lǐyì ér lòu yú zhī rénxīn. [Pinyin]

     I have heard that the superior men of these Middle States understand the (subjects of) ceremony and righteousness, but are deplorably ignorant of the minds of men.

   • 江左地促，不如中國；若使阡陌條暢，則一覽而盡。故紆餘委曲，若不可測。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     江左地促，不如中国；若使阡陌条畅，则一览而尽。故纡余委曲，若不可测。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5^th century CE

     Jiāngzuǒ dì cù, bùrú Zhōngguó; ruò shǐ qiānmò tiáochàng, zé yī lǎn ér jìn. Gù yūyú wěiqū, ruò bùkě cè. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (Classical) people of the Central Plain

   • 金人所以立劉豫於河南，蓋欲荼毒中原，以中國攻中國。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     金人所以立刘豫于河南，盖欲荼毒中原，以中国攻中国。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1345 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Song

     Jīn rén suǒyǐ lì Liú Yù yú Hénán, gài yù túdú Zhōngyuán, yǐ Zhōngguó gōng Zhōngguó. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• (royal court):

• (central part of a country): (archaic) 國中／国中 (guózhōng)
• (the Central Plain): 中土 (Zhōngtǔ), 中原 (Zhōngyuán), 中州 (Zhōngzhōu)

Others:

• → Bouyei: Zungyguef
• → English: Middle Kingdom (calque)
• → Finnish: Keskustan valtakunta (calque)
• → French: Empire du Milieu (calque)
• → German: Reich der Mitte (calque)
• → Hlai: Dongxgok (via Hainanese)
• → Indonesian: Tiongkok (via Hokkien)
• → Kyrgyz: Жуңго (Juŋgo)
• → Lü: ᦷᦋᧂᧈᦷᦅᧉ (tsong¹ko²)
• → Manchu: ᡩᡠᠯᡳᠮᠪᠠᡳ
  ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ (dulimbai gurun) (calque)
• → Mongolian: ᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ
  ᠤᠯᠤᠰ (dumdadu ulus) (calque)
• → Portuguese: Reino Médio, Reino do Meio (calque) (calque)
• → Nuosu: ꍏꇩ (zho guop)
• → Tibetan: ཀྲུང་གོ (krung go)
  • Dzongkha: ཀྲུང་ཀོ (krung ko)
• → Uyghur: جۇڭگو (junggo), Җуңго (Junggo) (Cyrillic)
• Wutunhua: zhungo
• → Zhuang: Cunghgoz, Cungguek

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 中(ちゅう)国(ごく) (Chūgoku), from Chinese 中國 (MC trjuwng kwok, “the central part of a country”).

中國

1. (～地方, ～地區) the Chūgoku region of Japan

   • 這裡的中國是指日本的中國地方，即指本州西部的岡山、廣島、山口、島根、鳥取5縣。 [MSC, trad.]
     这里的中国是指日本的中国地方，即指本州西部的冈山、广岛、山口、岛根、鸟取5县。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2004, 于沛, 中国社会科学院世界历史研究所学术论文集（1964-2004）：古代中世纪卷

     Zhèlǐ de Zhōngguó shì zhǐ Rìběn de Zhōngguó Dìfāng, jí zhǐ Běnzhōu xībù de Gāngshān, Guǎngdǎo, Shānkǒu, Dǎogēn, Niǎoqǔ 5 xiàn. [Pinyin]

     Here, 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó) refers to the Chūgoku region of Japan, or the five prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, and Tottori that lay in the western region of Honshū.

Semantic loan from Sanskrit मध्यदेशे m sg (madhyadeśe, locative, literally “in the Middle Country”) (Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā; see Karashima, 2010) or मध्येषु जनपदेषु m pl (madhyeṣu janapadeṣu, “in [the] central countries”) (Abhidharmakośakārikā); as opposed to the 邊地／边地 (biāndì, “borderlands; frontiers”), from Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit प्रत्यन्तिम (pratyantima) / प्रत्यन्त (pratyanta) or Pali paccantima. Cognate to the Pali majjhimesu janapadesu (locative, literally “in the middlemost countries”) in the text parallel to the Ekottara Āgama in the Pali Canon.

中國

1. (Buddhism) "central countries"; lands with advanced civilization and other conditions helpful for teaching Buddhism

中國 • (Jungguk) (hangeul 중국)

1. Hanja form^? of 중국 (“China”).

Borrowed from Middle Chinese 中國 (MC trjuwng kwok, literally “central country”).

• IPA^(key): /tjùŋkúk/

中國 (*TYÙNG.KWÚK)

1. China (a country in Asia)
   • 1459, 訓民正音諺解 / 훈민정음언해 (Hunminjeongeum Eonhae):

     나랏〮말〯ᄊᆞ미〮中(듀ᇰ)國(국〮)에〮달아〮

     nàlá-s mǎlssòm-í TYÙNG.KWÚK-éy tàlGá

     The language of the country being different from China

• Korean: 중국 (jungguk), 즁국 (jungguk), 듕국 (dyungguk)

中國

1. chữ Hán form of Trung Quốc (“China”).

中國

1. Sawndip form of Cunghgoz