Chinese word

美国

Pronunciation

Pinyinměi guó

Meaning

  • nounthe United States

Example

我想去美国。wǒ xiǎng qù měi guó

I want to go to the United States.

Illustration for 美国 (the United States)

More examples

她喜欢看美国电影。tā xǐ huān kàn měi guó diàn yǐng

She likes watching American movies.

Core concept

A compact national label that identifies the United States in Chinese writing and speech.

Common phrases

  • 去美国qù měi guó

    go to the United States

  • 美国人měi guó rén

    American

  • 美国电影měi guó diàn yǐng

    American movie

Definition in Chinese

美国是美利坚合众国的简称，位于北美洲。měi guó shì měi lì jiān hé zhòng guó de jiǎn chēng wèi yú béi měi zhōu

Word origin

美国 (měiguó, "the United States") shortens 美利坚合众国 (Měilìjiān Hézhòngguó, "the United States of America") by retaining its first character.

Usage tips

  • The superhero Captain America has the Chinese name 美国队长 (Měiguó duìzhǎng, "Captain America"), so the country name also appears in children's stories and films.

Word lists with this word