國 is the character for “country”. It is made out of 11 strokes.
| Chinese Character | Simplified Version | Bopomofo | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 國 | 国 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ | Guó |
Definition
Country; nation; state; national
Historical Origins
The original character for ‘國’ (country) was ‘或’, which was also the ancient character for ‘域’ (territory). ‘或’ is composed of two elements: ‘囗 (wéi)’, representing a city, and ‘戈’, symbolizing a weapon and force. This suggests that the original meaning of ‘國’ was a territory protected by force. In the late Zhou Dynasty, bronze inscriptions began to feature an additional ‘囗’ surrounding the original character, indicating the broader scope or extent of the territory.
Vocabulary with the Character 國
| Chinese | Bopomofo | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中國 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ | Zhōngguó | China |
| 美國 | ㄇㄟˇ ㄍㄨㄛˊ | Měiguó | United States |
| 英國 | ㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ | Yīngguó | United Kingdom |
| 國家 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄚ | guójiā | Country; Nation |
| 外國 | ㄨㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄛˊ | wàiguó | Foreign country |
| 國王 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄨㄤˊ | guówáng | King |
| 國慶節 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄑㄧㄥˋ ㄐㄧㄝˊ | guóqìngjié | National Day |
| 國際 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧˋ | guójì | International |
| 國旗 | ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄑㄧˊ | guóqí | National flag |
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