国

• Pinyin: guó
• Hanzi breakdown: 国 = 囗 (enclosure) + 玉 (jade) — a treasure (nation) within borders

Meaning

Country; nation. A bound morpheme that appears in many compound words related to countries.

Rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It appears in compounds like 中国 (China), 国家 (country), 外国 (foreign country). It is also used as a suffix for country names: 英国 (UK), 美国 (USA), 法国 (France).

Examples

1. 中国是一个大国。 China is a big country.
2. 你是哪国人？ Which country are you from?
3. 我爱我的国。 I love my country.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国有很长的历史。(China has a very long history.)
• 你去过几个国家？(How many countries have you been to?)

Don't Say

• 我的国很大。(Sounds unnatural alone — say 我的国家很大 with the full compound)

Origin & History

The traditional form 國 shows 或 (territory) enclosed in 囗 (enclosure) — a defended territory. The simplified form 国 places 玉 (jade) inside the enclosure, symbolising a treasure within borders.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal