HSK 1 · Article · 214 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-china-in-chinese

中国的“中”

How to say China in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

你nǐ想xiǎng去qù中国zhōngguó吗ma？“中国zhōngguó”是shì两liǎng个gè字zì。第一dìyī个gè字zì是shì“中”，第二dì’èr个gè字zì是shì“国guó”。

“中”是shì什么shénme？你nǐ看kàn：上午shàngwǔ、中午zhōngwǔ、下午xiàwǔ。中午zhōngwǔ十二shí’èr点diǎn，在zài上午shàngwǔ和hé下午xiàwǔ的de中间zhōngjiān。

再zài看kàn：小学xiǎoxué、中学zhōngxué、大学dàxué。中学zhōngxué在zài小学xiǎoxué和hé大学dàxué的de中间zhōngjiān。“中zhōng”，是shì中间zhōngjiān。

“国guó”是shì国家guójiā。“中国zhōngguó”是shì“中间zhōngjiān的de国家guójiā”。

中国zhōngguó的de人rén，是shì中国zhōngguó人rén。中国zhōngguó人rén说shuō中文zhōngwén，中文zhōngwén也yě叫jiào汉语hànyǔ。中国zhōngguó的de饭菜fàncài，是shì中国zhōngguó菜cài。

现在xiànzài你nǐ可以kéyǐ说shuō：“我wǒ想xiǎng去qù中国zhōngguó。我wǒ想xiǎng学xué中文zhōngwén。我wǒ喜欢xǐhuān吃chī中国菜zhōngguócài。”

中午zhōngwǔ十二shí’èr点diǎn了le，许xǔ老师lǎoshī还hái在zài上shàng中文zhōngwén课kè。一yí个gè学生xuéshēng问wèn：“老师lǎoshī，我们wǒmen可以kéyǐ去qù吃chī午饭wǔfàn了le吗ma？”

许xǔ老师lǎoshī笑xiào了le：“中zhōng！”

同学tóngxué们men都dōu不bù知道zhīdào这zhè是shì什么shénme意思yìsi。

许xǔ老师lǎoshī说shuō：“我wǒ是shì河南hénán人rén。我wǒ说shuō的de是shì‘好hǎo’！”

同学tóngxué们men说shuō：“中zhōng！”大家dàjiā都dōu去qù吃饭chīfàn了le。

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.