# 中國
## Chinese

* 中國 (消歧義) (Written Standard Chinese)
* 中國 (搞清楚) (Cantonese)
* 中國 (釋義) (Classical)
* 中國 (Gan)
* 中國 (Hakka)
* 中國 (Eastern Min)
* 中國 (Southern Min)
* 中国（分清爽） (Wu)

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): Zhōngguó
       (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): Zong$^1$ gue$^2$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): Bvěnggui
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): Җунгуй (Žunguy, I-II) / Җунгуә (Žunguə, I-II)
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zung$^1$ gwok$^3$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): zuung$^1$ gok$^2$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): Chûng-koet
    (Hailu, HRS): zhung$^ˋ$ gued
    (Meixian, Guangdong): zung$^1$ guêd$^5$
* Eastern Min (BUC): Dṳ̆ng-guók
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): doeng$^1$ gorh$^6$ / dyeng$^1$ gorh$^6$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): Tiong-kok
    (Teochew, Peng'im): dong$^1$ gog$^4$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$tson-koq$_7$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōngguó
*** Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguó
*** Wade–Giles: Chung$^1$-kuo$^2$
*** Yale: Jūng-gwó
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jonggwo
*** Palladius: Чжунго (Čžungo)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: Zong$^1$ gue$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: Zunggue
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: Bvěnggui
*** Sinological IPA : /p͡fəŋ²¹ kuei/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: Җунгуй (Žunguy, I-II) / Җунгуә (Žunguə, I-II)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/, /ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: zung$^1$ gwok$^3$
*** Yale: jūng gwok
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dzung$^1$ gwok$^8$
*** Guangdong Romanization: zung$^1$ guog$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: zuung$^1$ gok$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chûng-koet
*** Hakka Romanization System: zung$^ˊ$ gued$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: zung$^1$ gued$^5$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡suŋ²⁴ ku̯et̚²/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: zhung$^ˋ$ gued
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃuŋ⁵³ kuet⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: zung$^1$ guêd$^5$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: Dṳ̆ng-guók
*** Sinological IPA : /tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ $^{(k-)}$ŋuɔʔ²⁴/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: doeng$^1$ gorh$^6$ [Phonetic: doeng$^2$ ngorh$^6$]
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: De̤ng-go̤h
*** Sinological IPA : /tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ $^{(k-)}$ŋɒʔ¹/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: dyeng$^1$ gorh$^6$ [Phonetic: dyeng$^2$ ngorh$^6$]
*** Sinological IPA : /tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ $^{(k-)}$ŋɒʔ²/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Penang)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-kok
*** Tâi-lô: Tiong-kok
*** Phofsit Daibuun: diongkog
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/
*** IPA (Penang): /tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: dong$^1$ gog$^4$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tong kok
*** Sinological IPA : /toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^1$tson-koq$_7$
*** MiniDict: tson$^平$ koh$^入$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^1$tson-koq$_4$
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/
* Middle Chinese: trjuwng kwok
Rime :
| Character | 中 | 國 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 知 (9) | 見 (28) |
| Final (韻) | 東 (2) | 德 (132) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Closed |
| Division (等) | III | I |
| Fanqie | 陟弓切 | 古或切 |
| Baxter | trjuwng | kwok |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʈɨuŋ/ | /kwək̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʈiuŋ/ | /kʷək̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ȶiuŋ/ | /kuək̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʈuwŋ/ | /kwək̚/ |
| Li Rong | /ȶiuŋ/ | /kuək̚/ |
| Wang Li | /ȶĭuŋ/ | /kuək̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ȶi̯uŋ/ | /kwək̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | zhōng | guo |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | zung$^1$ | gwak$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*truŋ [C.q]ʷˤək/
    (Zhengzhang): /*tuŋ kʷɯːɡ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 中 | 國 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | zhōng | guó |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ trjuwng › | ‹ kwok › |
| Old Chinese | /*truŋ/ | /*[C.q]ʷˁək/ |
| English | center | state (n.) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. |||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 中 | 國 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 1/1 |
| No. | 17407 | 5547 |
| Phonetic component | 中 | 或 |
| Rime group | 終 | 職 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 中 | 國 |
| Old Chinese | /*tuŋ/ | /*kʷɯːɡ/ |
* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Gan”
* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Jin”
* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Xiang”
* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Northern Min”

### Etymology 1

Earliest attested on the Western Zhou bronze vessel He zun. See Names of China#Zhongguo.
    From: He zun inscription, translated by Pankenier (2013)
    Wéi Wǔwáng jì kè Dàyìshāng, zé tíng gào yú Tiān, yuē: yú qí zhái zī Zhōngguó, zì zhī yì mín. [Pinyin]
    When King Wu conquered the great city Shang, he then made reverent declarations to Heaven, saying: "Let me dwell in this, the central region, and from here govern the people."

#### Proper noun

中國
* 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
       Zhōngguó de shǒudū shì Běijīng. [Pinyin]
       The capital of China is Beijing.
       Tā xiànzài zài Zhōngguó lǚxíng. [Pinyin]
       He's travelling around China right now.
       Nǐ xǐhuān Zhōngguó wénxué ma? [Pinyin]
       Do you like Chinese literature?
    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]
    We humbly think that Buddhism is merely a religion of barbarians, which entered China during the Later Han and is not found in our ancestry.
    From: 11th century, Ouyang Xiu, Historical Records of the Five Dynasties
    Wènzhě 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]
    Someone asks, "The Four Barbarians and Ten Nations are not Chinese. Why do you describe the barbarian contributions but not ten nations'?" We reply, "Viewing from Chinese on barbarians, one shall barbarize them; Viewing from Five Dynasties on Ten Nations, one shall not."
    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)
    From: c. 1446, Sejong the Great, 訓民正音 (Hunminjeongeum)
    The national voice is different to that in China, with scripts mutually unintelligible. Thus, our humble people have some to say, but many could not express their feelings.
    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)
    From: 1841, Elijah Coleman Bridgman, A Chinese Chrestomathy in the Canton Dialect, page 345
    jau$^5$ gei$^2$ do$^1$ syu$^6$ muk$^6$ ne$^1$? zung$^1$ gwok$^3$ jan$^4$ jin$^1$ cau$^4$ zaap$^6$, syu$^6$ muk$^6$ mou$^4$ do$^1$. [Jyutping]
    How much of it is forest? The population of China being very dense, the forests cannot be extensive.

##### Usage notes

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).

##### Synonyms

* (China):
* 中 (abbreviation)
* 中共 (Zhōnggòng) (Taiwan, derogatory)
* 中共國 / 中共国 (zhōnggòngguó) (derogatory)
* 中原 (Zhōngyuán)
* 中國 / 中国 (Zhōngguó)
* 中華 / 中华
* 九州 (Jiǔzhōu) (literary)
* 唐山 (Tángshān)
* 域中 (yùzhōng) (literary, figurative)
* 天下 (tiānxià) (lofty)
* 天朝 (Tiāncháo) (historical or Internet slang)
* 契弟 (qìdì) (Hong Kong, Internet slang, derogatory)
* 德祐 (Déyòu) (Myanmar)
* 支那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete, now usually derogatory or offensive)
* 桃花石 (Táohuāshí) (obsolete)
* 牆國 / 墙国 (qiángguó) (Taiwan, derogatory, sarcastic)
* 猜拿 (Cāiná) (transliteration of English China)
* 祖國 / 祖国 (zǔguó)
* 神州 (Shénzhōu) (literary)
* 種花家 / 种花家 (Zhònghuājiā) (slang, humorous)
* 脂那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete)
* 至那 (Zhìnà) (obsolete)
* 華 / 华 (abbreviation)
* 華夏 / 华夏 (Huáxià)
* 虫國 (chóngguó) (Hong Kong, offensive, Internet slang)
* 蚛蟈 / 蚛蝈 (Hong Kong, offensive, Internet slang)
* 諸夏 / 诸夏 (Zhūxià)
* 諸華 / 诸华 (Zhūhuá)
* 貴支 / 贵支 (guìzhī) (Mainland China, Internet slang, neologism, derogatory, sarcastic, offensive)
* 贏國 / 赢国 (Hong Kong, humorous, derogatory, sarcastic)
* 赤縣 / 赤县 (Chìxiàn) (literary)
* 赤縣神州 / 赤县神州 (Chìxiàn Shénzhōu) (literary)
* 震旦 (Zhèndàn) (archaic)

##### Derived terms

* 中國中心主義 / 中国中心主义 (Zhōngguó zhōngxīn zhǔyì)
* 中國之春 / 中国之春
* 中國人 / 中国人 (Zhōngguórén)
* 中國人民的老朋友 / 中国人民的老朋友 (Zhōngguó rénmín de lǎopéngyou)
* 中國人民解放軍 / 中国人民解放军 (Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn)
* 中國佬 / 中国佬 (zhōngguólǎo)
* 中國僑聯 / 中国侨联 (Zhōngguó Qiáolián)
* 中國內地 / 中国内地 (Zhōngguó nèidì)
* 中國共產黨 / 中国共产党 (Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng)
* 中國化 / 中国化 (zhōngguóhuà)
* 中國圖 / 中国图 (zhōngguótú)
* 中國城 / 中国城 (zhōngguóchéng)
* 中國大陸 / 中国大陆 (Zhōngguó dàlù)
* 中國威脅論 / 中国威胁论 (Zhōngguó wēixiélùn)
* 中國字 / 中国字 (zhōngguózì)
* 中國學 / 中国学 (Zhōngguóxué)
* 中國崩潰論 / 中国崩溃论 (Zhōngguó bēngkuìlùn)
* 中國工農紅軍 / 中国工农红军 (Zhōngguó Gōngnóng Hóngjūn)
* 中國式 / 中国式 (Zhōngguóshì)
* 中國性 / 中国性 (zhōngguóxìng)
* 中國文字 / 中国文字
* 中國本土 / 中国本土 (Zhōngguó běntǔ)
* 中國海 / 中国海 (Zhōngguóhǎi)
* 中國特色 / 中国特色 (Zhōngguó tèsè)
* 中國畫 / 中国画 (Zhōngguóhuà)
* 中國碼子 / 中国码子 (Wuhan Mandarin)
* 中國科大 / 中国科大 (Zhōngguó Kēdà)
* 中國科學院 / 中国科学院
* 中國結 / 中国结 (zhōngguójié)
* 中國芒 / 中国芒 (zhōngguómáng)
* 中國菜 / 中国菜 (Zhōngguócài)
* 中國話 / 中国话 (Zhōngguóhuà)
* 中國語 / 中国语 (Zhōngguóyǔ)
* 中國超新星 / 中国超新星
* 中國通 / 中国通 (Zhōngguótōng)
* 中國風 / 中国风 (zhōngguófēng)
* 中媒 (zhōngméi)
* 傷害中國人民的感情 / 伤害中国人民的感情 (shānghài Zhōngguó rénmín de gǎnqíng)
* 新中國 / 新中国 (Xīnzhōngguó)
* 自由中國 / 自由中国 (Zìyóu Zhōngguó)
* 舊中國 / 旧中国 (Jiùzhōngguó)
* 赤色中國 / 赤色中国

#### Noun

中國
* (Classical) royal court; imperial court; imperial household; imperial government
* (Classical) central part of a country (historically, commonly known as the capital city or the main region, where an emperor or other ruler resides)
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th 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.
    From: Mencius, c. 4th 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.
* (Classical) the Central Plain (area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization)
    From: Mencius, c. 4th 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.
    From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd 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.
    From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5th 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)
* (Classical) people of the Central Plain
    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)

##### Synonyms

* (royal court):
* 上國 / 上国 (shàngguó) (as termed by vassal states)
* 世 (shì) (literary, or in compounds)
* 公家 (gōngjiā)
* 公庭 (gōngtíng)
* 國家 / 国家 (guójiā) (Classical Chinese)
* 朝廷 (cháotíng)
* 王室 (wángshì)
* 王家 (wángjiā)
* 王朝 (wángcháo)
* 皇室 (huángshì)
* 皇朝 (huángcháo)
* (central part of a country): (archaic) 國中／国中 (guózhōng)
* (the Central Plain): 中土 (Zhōngtǔ), 中原 (Zhōngyuán), 中州 (Zhōngzhōu)

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 中(ちゅう)国(ごく) (Chūgoku)
* → Korean: 중국(中國) (Jungguk)
* → Vietnamese: Trung Quốc (中國)
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: (calque)
    Cyrillic script: Дундад улс (Dundad uls)
    Mongolian script: ᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ (dumdadu ulus)
* → 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

### Etymology 2

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”).

#### Proper noun

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

### Etymology 3

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.

#### Noun

中國
* (Buddhism) "central countries"; lands with advanced civilization and other conditions helpful for teaching Buddhism
    From: 大般若波羅蜜多經
    Héyǐ gù? Púsà shòushēng bì zài zhōngguó, lì gēn zhìhuì yáncí biàn le, shàn zhī yǔyì shì fófǎ qì, shàn zhī shāmén, póluómén děng. [Pinyin]
    Why is this? The rebirth of a bodhisattva must be in the central regions of a country, his faculties will be sharp and he distinguishes all wise words. He knows well that semantics are the tools of the Buddhadharma, and he knows well śramaṇas, brahmins, and others.

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 中 | 國 |
| ちゅう Grade: 1 | こく > ごく Jinmeiyō |
| on'yomi ||
For pronunciation and definitions of 中國 – see the following entry. :
| 【中国ちゅうごく】 | [proper noun] China [proper noun] (historical or contemporary) any of several kingdoms, empires, or states of the Chinese people [proper noun] (especially in contemporary usage) short for 中華人民共和国 (Chūka Jinmin Kyōwakoku), the People's Republic of China [noun] the central part of a country, historically, commonly known as the capital city or the main region, where an emperor or other ruler resides [noun] something within a country [noun] (historical) under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, a province of the third rank according to a four-rank system based on population and area [noun] (historical) under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, a province of the second rank according to the distance from the capital city [noun] collective term for the 山陽道 (San'yōdō) and 山陰道 (San'indō) regions of Japan [proper noun] Short for 中国地方 (Chūgoku chihō): the Chūgoku region of Japan |
| 【中国なかくに】 | [proper noun] a surname |
(This term, 中國, is the kyūjitai of the above term.) :

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 中 | 國 |

### Proper noun

中國 • (Jungguk) (hangeul 중국)
* hanja form of 중국 (“China”)

## Middle Korean
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Morphophonemic) IPA: ⫽tjùŋkúk⫽
* Dongguk Jeongun: [듀ᇰ귁〮]

### Proper noun

中(듀ᇰ)國(국〮) (TYWÙNG.KWÚK)
* China (a country in Asia)
** 1459, 훈민정음언해 :나랏〮 말〯ᄊᆞ미〮 中(듀ᇰ)國(귁〮)에〮 달아〮 文(문)字(ᄍᆞᇰ〮)와〮로〮 서르 ᄉᆞᄆᆞᆺ디〮 아니〮ᄒᆞᆯᄊᆡ〮nàlá-s mǎlssòm-í TYWÙNG.KWÚYK-éy tàlG-á MWÙN.CCÓNG-wá-lwó sèlù sòmòs-tí àníhò-lssóyThe language of the country is different from [that of] China and does not match the [Chinese] script

#### Descendants

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

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 中 | 國 |

### Proper noun

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

## Zhuang
### Proper noun

中國
* Sawndip form of Cunghgoz