Chinese word

民间

Pronunciation

Pinyinmín jiān

Meaning

  • nounpublic

Example

他的歌在民间很受欢迎。tā de gē zài mín jiān hěn shòu huān yíng

His song is very popular with the public.

Illustration for 民间 (public)

More examples

这些民间故事代代相传。zhè xiē mín jiān gù shì dài dài xiāng chuán

These folk stories have been passed down from generation to generation.

Core concept

A shared space of ordinary life outside official institutions, where customs, knowledge, and creative work spread from person to person.

Common phrases

  • 民间故事mín jiān gù shì

    folk story

  • 民间习俗mín jiān xí sú

    folk tradition

  • 民间艺术mín jiān yì shù

    folk art

Similar words

传统chuán tǒng: Long-established cultural ideas and practices inherited from earlier generations.
民俗mín sú: Traditional festivals, songs, and ways of life shared within a region or ethnic group.
习俗xí sú: A common custom or customary behavior followed in everyday life.

Definition in Chinese

指不属于官方或政府机构、存在于普通百姓之间并由口头或实践传承的事物、习俗或知识。zhǐ bù shǔ yú guān fāng huò zhèng fǔ jī gòu cún zài yú pǔ tōng bǎi xìng zhī jiān bìng yóu kǒu tóu huò shí jiàn chuán chéng de shì wù xí sú huò zhī shí

Word origin

民间 (mínjiān, "among the people") combines 民 (mín, "the people") with 间 (jiān, "among"), naming what exists and circulates among ordinary people rather than through official institutions.

Usage tips

  • In English, public often means open to everyone, but this word more often identifies something as coming from ordinary people rather than from the government.

Other meanings

  • unofficialadjective
  • folknoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word