中国 (Zhōngguó) — China in Mandarin

Zhō​ngguó
“China”

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#31 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

中国 is pronounced Zhōngguó. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

Zhō
first tone (high & flat, ˉ)
ngguó
second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.

I am Chinese.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 中国 mean?+

中国 (Zhōngguó) means "China" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 中国?+

中国 is pronounced Zhōngguó. It uses the tone 1 (high flat), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 中国 in Mandarin?+

中国 is the #31 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 中国 fits

HSK 1 · CEFR A1
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Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.