国籍

• Pinyin: guó jí
• Hanzi breakdown: 国 = country/nation; 籍 = record/registry

Meaning

Nationality; citizenship. The legal status of belonging to a particular nation.

Official term used in legal, administrative, and formal contexts. Required on official forms, passports, and immigration documents. Different from 民族 (ethnicity).

Examples

1. 请在表格上填写你的国籍。 Please fill in your nationality on the form.
2. 她拥有双重国籍，既是中国人也是美国人。 She has dual nationality, being both Chinese and American.
3. 申请签证时需要提供国籍证明。 Proof of nationality is required when applying for a visa.

Usage Guide

Context: official, legal, immigration, documents

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 你的国籍是什么？(What is your nationality?)
• 他已经放弃了原来的国籍。(He has given up his original nationality.)

Don't Say

• 国籍 for ethnicity (民族 is ethnicity; 国籍 is legal citizenship)

Origin & History

Compound of 国 (country, nation) + 籍 (record, registry), meaning one's registered nationality.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal