中国的“中”
How to say China in Chinese
Name: ________________ Date: ________
你想去中国吗？“中国”是两个字。第一个字是“中”，第二个字是“国”。
“中”是什么？你看：上午、中午、下午。中午十二点，在上午和下午的中间。
再看：小学、中学、大学。中学在小学和大学的中间。“中”，是中间。
“国”是国家。“中国”是“中间的国家”。
中国的人，是中国人。中国人说中文，中文也叫汉语。中国的饭菜，是中国菜。
现在你可以说：“我想去中国。我想学中文。我喜欢吃中国菜。”
中午十二点了，许老师还在上中文课。一个学生问：“老师，我们可以去吃午饭了吗？”
许老师笑了：“中！”
同学们都不知道这是什么意思。
许老师说：“我是河南人。我说的是‘好’！”
同学们说：“中！”大家都去吃饭了。
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 去 | qù | to go |
| 中国 | zhōngguó | China |
| 字 | zì | character; written word |
| 国 | guó | country; nation; national; state |
| 什么 | shénme | what; anything |
| 看 | kàn | to look at; to see; to watch |
| 上午 | shàngwǔ | morning |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon; midday |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon |
| 点 | diǎn | to point out; to bring up |
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school; primary school |
| 中学 | zhōngxué | middle school; high school |
English (for the teacher)
Do you want to go to China? "China" in Chinese is two characters: 中国, Zhōngguó. The first character is 中, and the second is 国.
What is 中? Look: 上午, 中午, 下午 (morning, noon, afternoon). Twelve o'clock noon is in the middle, between morning and afternoon.
Now look at these: 小学, 中学, 大学 (primary school, middle school, university). Middle school is in the middle, between primary school and university. So 中 means middle.
国 means country. 中国 is "the middle country", the Middle Kingdom.
The people of China are 中国人, Chinese people. Chinese people speak 中文, and 中文 is also called 汉语. The food of China is 中国菜, Chinese food.
Now you can say: "I want to go to China. I want to learn Chinese. I like eating Chinese food."
It's twelve noon, and Teacher Xu is still teaching her Chinese class. A student asks, "Teacher, can we go to lunch now?"
Teacher Xu smiles: "Zhōng!"
None of the students knows what that means.
Teacher Xu says, "I'm from Henan. What I said was 'OK'!"
The students say, "Zhōng!" And everyone goes off to lunch.