大陆

• Pinyin: dà lù
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = pictograph of a person with outstretched arms; 陆 = 阝(hill/mound) + 坴 (phonetic, related to land)

Meaning

Continent; mainland. A large continuous landmass, or specifically mainland China.

Has two main uses: (1) geographical — a large landmass or continent (亚洲大陆, 非洲大陆); (2) political — short for 中国大陆, referring to mainland China as distinct from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Macau. Context determines which meaning is intended.

Examples

1. 亚洲是世界上面积最大的大陆。 Asia is the largest continent in the world by area.
2. 他从台湾来大陆做生意已经很多年了。 He came from Taiwan to do business on the mainland many years ago.
3. 大陆和台湾之间的文化交流越来越多。 Cultural exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan are increasing.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, politics, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我想去欧洲大陆旅行。(I want to travel across the European continent.)
• 大陆的城市发展得很快。(Cities on the mainland have developed very quickly.)

Don't Say

• 在正式外交场合随意使用大陆一词 (In formal diplomatic contexts, be careful with 大陆 — it can carry political implications; use 中国内地 for a more neutral expression when referring to mainland China)

Origin & History

大 (big/great) + 陆 (land) — a great expanse of land, referring to a continuous landmass.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal