Chinese word

中文

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhōng wén

Meaning

  • nounChinese

Example

我会说一点中文。wǒ huì shuō yì diǎn zhōng wén

I can speak a little Chinese.

Illustration for 中文 (Chinese)

More examples

他在家自学中文。tā zài jiā zì xué zhōng wén

He studies Chinese on his own at home.

Core concept

One language with a spoken voice and a written face, used to share meaning in Chinese.

Common phrases

  • 会说中文huì shuō zhōng wén

    can speak Chinese

  • 学中文xué zhōng wén

    learn Chinese

Similar words

汉语hàn yǔ: The Chinese language, especially in contexts about speaking ability and conversation.
普通话pǔ tōng huà: The standard spoken language of China, used widely in education and broadcasting.
汉字hàn zì: A written symbol used to represent Chinese in books, signs, and other writing.

Definition in Chinese

指中国的语言或文字，常用来表示汉语的书面和口语形式。zhǐ zhōng guó de yǔ yán huò wén zì cháng yòng lái biǎo shì hàn yǔ de shū miàn hé kóu yǔ xíng shì

Word origin

In 中文 (zhōngwén, "Chinese"), 中 (zhōng, "China") identifies the setting and 文 (wén, "writing or language") identifies language, making a compact name for Chinese.

Usage tips

  • English can use Chinese as an adjective, but this noun fits naturally in phrases about language ability and school subjects.

Opposites

Related words

  • 中文课zhōng wén kèChinese classnoun

Word lists with this word