国家

• Pinyin: guó jiā
• Hanzi breakdown: 国 (country) + 家 (home) — the nation as a shared home

Meaning

Country; nation; state. The standard word for referring to a country or nation.

The most common and natural way to say 'country' in modern Chinese. Used in both formal and informal contexts. 国 alone is mostly used in compounds or poetic language, while 国家 is the everyday word.

Examples

1. 世界上有很多国家。 There are many countries in the world.
2. 你想去哪个国家？ Which country do you want to visit?
3. 中国是一个很大的国家。 China is a very big country.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, everyday, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你去过多少个国家？(How many countries have you visited?)
• 每个国家都有自己的文化。(Every country has its own culture.)

Don't Say

• 我的国家是北京。(Beijing is a city, not a country — say 我的国家是中国)

Origin & History

Compound of 国 (country, state) and 家 (home, family) — the nation as a collective home for its people.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal