Chinese exonyms
When a foreign place name, or toponym, occurs in Chinese text, the problem arises of spelling it in Chinese characters, given the limited phonetics and restrictive phonology of Mandarin Chinese (making it very difficult to transcribe loanwords), and the possible meaning of those characters when treated as Chinese words. For example:
- "London Heathrow Airport" is usually rendered in Chinese characters as 伦敦希斯路机场 (Lúndūn Xīsīlù Jīchǎng), with the English pronunciation of 'London' being fairly accurate, and of 'Heathrow' being less accurate: in Chinese the translation of each character literally means "kinship, honest" (for London, 伦敦), "hope, given/this, road" (for Heathrow, 希斯路), "aircraft, field" (机场), with the last syllable of "Heathrow" rendered as "lu" although the more accurate "lo" and "lou" are known Chinese words. The reason for this strange transcription for "Heathrow" is because the name of the airport was introduced to the Chinese language through Cantonese, in which the loanword is pronounced Hei1 Si1 Lo4, which is actually more accurate to the English pronunciation of the name. However, when this word was adopted into Mandarin, the Chinese characters to write "Heathrow" were used without any regards to pronunciation, in which the Mandarin and Cantonese pronunciations of the same Chinese character can often be drastically different from one another.
Sometimes, the endonym or the English exonym of a place can be literally translated in Chinese characters, such as "Salt Lake City" or the "Dead Sea", which are translated into Chinese as 盐湖城 (Yánhú Chéng) and 死海 (Sǐhǎi), which mean "salt-lake-city" and "dead-sea" respectively.
More often than not, however, characters are chosen simply because their syllables sound somewhat similar to the syllables of the endonym or the English exonym, regardless of the meaning of the individual characters. Examples include Dublin and Yemen, which are written in Chinese as 都柏林 (Dūbólín, which literally translates as "all-cypress-forest") and 也门 (Yěmén, which literally translates as "also-door") respectively. In both Chinese exonyms, the connection between the meanings of the Chinese characters and their respective places is not particularly obvious, so it is safe to assume these exonyms are transcriptions.
There are other exonyms that are a combination of translation and transcription (meaning and sound) of the endonym. For example, New Zealand is written as 新西兰 (Xīnxīlán), in which the first character 新 (xīn) literally means "new" and the final two characters 西兰 (Xīlán) is a transcription of "Zealand". Likewise, America is written as 美国 (Měiguó), which is a combination of 美 (měi), one of the characters in another exonym 阿美利哥 (Āměilìgē), and 国 (guó), the translation for the word "country". The full name of the United States in Chinese, “美利坚合众国” (Meilijianhezhongguo), which is very rarely used in China, roughly translates to the "United States of America" and is not an exonym, as the official Chinese word for the nation of the United States is different for the Chinese word for the continent of America. Acronyms including the character 国 (guó) is common among exonyms.
Names of foreign nations are sometimes shortened to their first character when used in compounds. For example, the name for Russia in Chinese is 俄罗斯 (Éluósī), but the name of the Russian language is 俄语 (Éyǔ), anything Russian-style is 俄式 (Éshì), and the Russian military is 俄军 (Éjūn).
However, some Chinese exonyms exist which are not immediately obvious because they are neither translations nor transcriptions, such as 旧金山 (Jiùjīnshān, which literally means "Old Gold Mountain") and 新金山 (Xīnjīnshān, which literally means "New Gold Mountain") for San Francisco and Melbourne respectively. These exonyms exist because they have a special history among Chinese people worldwide for one reason or another.
For Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese names, the Chinese exonym is often the Chinese pronunciation of the Korean hanja, Japanese kanji, or ancient Vietnamese Chữ Nôm writing of the toponym. In some cases, especially in Japan, the Chinese pronunciation may be completely unlike the native-language pronunciation.
However, if the country's or city's endonym is not internationally well-known, Chinese will often transcribe the endoynym or English name into Chinese characters.
Countries had been founded or had gained independence after 1949 (the year Kuomintang had exiled to Taiwan after losing to the Communist Party) often have different exonyms used in mainland China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC) due to differences in official standards resulting from the split in government. Exonyms used in mainland China are written in simplified Chinese on this page, and exonyms used in Taiwan are written in traditional Chinese. The exception to this are exonyms for Japanese and Korean place names, which will be written in traditional Chinese.
The exonyms below are all in Mandarin Chinese.
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| Historical Chinese exonyms |
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Afghanistan
 Afghanistan Āfùhàn (阿富汗) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Kabul | Kābù'ěr (喀布尔) | Transcription | Kābol (کابل) | Persian | |
| Kābəl (کابل) | Pashto | ||||
Albania
 Albania Ā'ěrbāníyǎ (阿尔巴尼亚) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Tirana | Dìlānà (地拉那) | Transcription | Tirona | Albanian | |
Algeria
 Algeria Ā'ěrjílìyǎ (阿尔及利亚) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Algiers | Ā'ěrjíěr (阿尔及尔) | Transcription | Al-Jazā'ir (الجزائر) | Arabic | |
Andorra
 Andorra Āndàoěr (安道尔) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Meaning | ||
| Andorra la Vella | Āndàoěr Chéng (安道尔城) | Translation-transcription mix | Andorra City | |
Angola
 Angola Āngēlā (安哥拉) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Luanda | Luóāndá (罗安达) | Transcription | Luanda | Portuguese | |
Antigua and Barbuda
 Antigua and Barbuda Āntíguā Hé Bābùdá (安提瓜和巴布达) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| St. John's | Shèng Yuēhàn (圣约翰) | Translation-transcription mix | |
Argentina
 Argentina Āgēntíng (阿根廷) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| Buenos Aires | Bùyínuòsīàilìsī (布宜诺斯艾利斯) | Transcription | |
Armenia
 Armenia Yàměiníyǎ (亚美尼亚) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Yerevan | Yèlǐwēn (叶里温) | Transcription | Yerevan (Երևան) | Armenian | |
Australia
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia Àodàlìyǎ (澳大利亚); abbreviated as Ào (澳) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Canberra | Kānpéilā (堪培拉)[1] | Transcription | ||
| Gold Coast | Huángjīn Hǎi'àn (黄金海岸) | Translation | Gold Coast | |
| Melbourne | Mò'ěrběn (墨尔本) | Transcription | ||
| Xīnjīnshān (新金山) | Translation | New Gold Mountain | The nickname "New Gold Mountain" was the nickname for the city given by Chinese immigrants and migrant workers looking for gold during the Australian gold rushes.[2] | |
| Newcastle | Niǔkǎsī'ěr (纽卡斯尔) | Transcription | ||
| New South Wales | Xīn Nán Wēi'ěrshì Zhōu (新南威尔士州 ) | Translation-transcription mix | ||
| Queensland | Kūnshìlán Zhōu (昆士兰州) | Transcription | ||
| Sydney | Xīní (悉尼) | Transcription | ||
Austria
 Austria Àodìlì (奥地利); abbreviated as Ào (奥) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Vienna | Wéiyěnà (维也纳) | Transcription | Wien | German | |
Azerbaijan
 Azerbaijan Āsèbàijiāng (阿塞拜疆) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Baku | Bākù (巴库) | Transcription | Bakı | Azerbaijani | |
Bahamas
 Bahamas Bāhāmǎ (巴哈马) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| Nassau | Násāo (拿骚) | Transcription | |
Bahrain
 Bahrain Bālín (巴林) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Manama | Màinàmài (麦纳麦) | Transcription | Al-Manāma (المنامة) | Arabic | |
Bangladesh
 Bangladesh Mèngjiālāguó (孟加拉国); abbreviated as Mèngjiālā (孟加拉) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Dhaka | Dákǎ (达卡) | Transcription | Dhaka (ঢাকা) | Bengali | |
Belarus
 Belarus Bái'éluósī (白俄罗斯); abbreviated as Bái'é (白俄) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Minsk | Míngsīkè (明斯克) | Transcription | Minsk (Мінск) | Belorussian | |
| Minsk (Минск) | Russian | ||||
Bhutan
 Bhutan Bùdān (不丹) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Thimphu | Tíngbù (廷布) | Transcription | Thimphu (ཐིམ་ཕུ) | Dzongkha | |
Brazil
 Brazil Bāxī (巴西); abbreviated as Bā (巴) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Brasília | Bāxīlìyǎ (巴西利亚)[3] | Transcription | |||
| Rio de Janeiro | Lǐyuērènèilú (里约热内卢)[4] | Transcription | |||
| São Paulo | Shèngbǎoluó (圣保罗)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Shèng (圣) is used for place names that contain the word "Saint" or one of its cognates in another language. Interestingly enough, Shèng (圣) and "Saint" are false cognates. | ||
Brunei
 Brunei Wénlái (文莱) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Wènlái (汶莱) | ||||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Bandar Seri Begawan | Sīlǐbājiāwān Shì (斯里巴加湾市) | Translation-transcription mix | Seri Begawan City | Thimphu (ཐིམ་ཕུ) | Dzongkha | |
Bulgaria
 Bulgaria Bǎojīalìyà (保加利亚); abbreviated as Bǎo (保) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Sofia | Suǒfēiyà (索菲亚) | Transcription | Sofija (София) | Bulgarian | |
Burundi
 Burundi Búlóngdí (布隆迪) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Púlóngdí (蒲隆迪, Taiwan only) | |||
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| Bujumbura | Bùqióngbùlā (布琼布拉) | Transcription | |
Cambodia
 Cambodia Jiǎnpǔzhài (柬埔寨); abbreviated as Jiǎn (柬) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Gāomián (高棉) | |||||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | Meaning | ||
| Phnom Penh | Jīnbiān (金边) | Translation | Golden Side | Phnom Penh (រាជធានីភ្នំពេញ) | Khmer | Penh's Hill | |
| Siem Reap | Xiānlì Shì (暹粒市) | Translation-transcription mix | Siem Reap City | Siem Reap ( ក្រុងសៀមរាប) | Khmer | Siam's Defeat | |
| Sihanoukville | Xīhānǔkè Chéng (西哈努克城) | Translation-transcription mix | Sihanouk City | Krong Preah Sihanouk (ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ) | Khmer | Holy City of Sihanouk | |
Canada
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada Jiānádà (加拿大); abbreviated as Jiā (加) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Jiāguó (加国) | |||
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| Montreal | Méngtèlìěr (蒙特利尔) | Transcription | |
| Toronto | Duōlúnduō (多伦多)[1] | Transcription | |
| Vancouver | Wēngēhuá (温哥华)[1] | Transcription | |
Egypt
 Egypt Āijí (埃及); abbreviated as Āi (埃) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Alexandria | Yàlìshāndà (亚历山大)[5] | Transcription | Al-'Iskandariyya (الإسكندرية) | Standard Arabic | |
| Eskendereyya (اسكندرية) | Egyptian Arabic | ||||
| Cairo | Kāiluó (开罗)[1] | Transcritption | Al-Qāhirah (القاهرة) | Standard Arabic | |
| Maṣr (مصر) | Egyptian Arabic | ||||
| Nile River | Níluóhé (尼罗河) | Translation-transcription mix | |||
Ethiopia
 Ethiopia Āisāi'ébǐyǎ (埃塞俄比亚) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Addis Ababa | Yàdìsīyàbèibā (亚的斯亚贝巴)[1] | Transcription | Addis Abäba (አዲስ አበባ) | Amharic | |
France
 France Fǎguó (法国); abbreviated as Fǎ (法) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Fǎlánsī (法兰斯), Fǎlánxī (法兰西) | |||
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | |
| Name | Type | ||
| Cannes | Jiánà (戛纳)[6] | Transcription | Based on the French pronunciation without the liaison |
| Fort-de-France | Fǎlánxībǎo (法兰西堡)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Bǎo (堡) is used in place names that have the word "Fort" or one of its cognates from in another language. |
| Paris | Bālí (巴黎) | Transcription | Based on the French pronunciation without the liaison |
| Saint-Lô | Shèngluò (圣洛)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Shèng (圣) is used for place names that contain the word "Saint" or one of its cognates in another language. Interestingly enough, Shèng (圣) and "Saint" are false cognates. |
Germany
 Germany Déguó (德国); abbreviated as Dé (德) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Déyìzhì (德意志) | |||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Berlin | Bólín (柏林)[7] | Transcription | |||
| Cologne | Kēlóng (克隆)[8] | Transcription | Köln | German | |
| Frankfurt | Fǎlánkèfú (法兰克福)[1] | Transcription | |||
| Hamburg | Hànbǎo (汉堡)[9] | Translation-transcription mix | Bǎo (堡) is used in place names that have the word "Burg" | ||
| Munich | Mùníhēi (慕尼黑)[10] | Transcription | München | German | |
Haiti
 Haiti Hǎidì (海地)[11] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Port-au-Prince | Tàizǐ Gǎng (太子港) | Translation | Prince's port | |
Iceland
The Chinese exonym is a literal translation of the endonym.
 Iceland Bīngdǎo (冰岛)[12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Reykjavik | Léikèyǎwèikè (雷克雅未克) | Transcription | Reykjavík | Icelandic | |
India
 India Yìndù (印度); abbreviated as Yìn (印) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | Meaning | ||
| Delhi | Délǐ (德里)[1] | Transcription | Dillī (दिल्ली) | Hindi | meaning unknown | ||
Indonesia
 Indonesia Yìndùníxīyà (印度尼西亚); abbreviated as Yìnní (印尼) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Bali | Bālí dǎo (巴厘岛) | Translation-transcription mix | Bali | Balinese | Used in Mainland China, homonymous with Paris (巴黎 Bālí). | |
| Bālǐ (峇里) | Transcription | Used in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. | ||||
| Jakarta | Yǎjiādá (雅加达)[1] | Transcription | Jakarta | Indonesian | ||
| Medan | Miánlán (棉兰) | Medan | Indonesian | |||
| Palembang | Jùgǎng (巨港) | Huge port[13] | Palembang | Indonesian | Chinese name refers to the historical past of Palembang as a major port of Sumatra. | |
| Pontianak | Kūndiān (坤甸) | Pontianak | Indonesian | Known in Hakka as khun-tîen | ||
| Singkawang | Shānkǒuyáng (山口洋) | Mountain by the estuary and the ocean |
Singkawang | Indonesian | Originates from Hakka sân-khiéu-yòng. | |
| Surabaya | Sìshuǐ (泗水)[14] | Surabaya | Indonesian | |||
| Yogyakarta | Rìrě (日若)[14] | Yogyakarta | Javanese | |||
Iraq
 Iraq Yīlākè (伊拉克); abbreviated as Yī (伊) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Baghdad | Bāgédá (巴格达) | Transcription | Baghdad (بغداد) | Arabic | |
Ireland
 Ireland Ài'ěrlán (爱尔兰); abbreviated as Ài (爱) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Cork | Kēkè (科克)[1] | Transcription | Corcaigh | Irish | |
| Dublin | Dūbólín (都柏林)[1] | Transcription | Baile Átha Cliath | Irish | |
Israel
Placenames in Israel will include places in Palestinian territories.
 Israel Yǐsèliè (以色列); abbreviated as Yǐ (以) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Jerusalem | Yēlùsālěng (耶路撒冷)[1] | Transcription | Yerushalayim (ירושלים) | Hebrew | ||
Japan
 Japan Rìběn (日本); abbreviated as Rì (日) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Hiroshima | Guǎngdǎo (廣島)[1] | Translation | Broad island | |
| Kyōto | Jīngdū (京都)[1] | Translation | Capital | |
| Nagasaki | Chángqí (長崎)[1] | Translation | Long, small peninsula | |
| Naha | Nàbà (那霸) | Transcription | meaning unknown | The Chinese pronunciation is based on the Chinese characters used to write the city's name in Japanese, regardless of the meaning of the individual characters. |
| Nara | Nàiliáng (奈良) | Transcription | meaning unknown | The Chinese pronunciation is based on the Chinese characters used to write the city's name in Japanese, regardless of the meaning of the individual characters. |
| Narita | Chéngtián (成田)[1] | Translation | Developed field | |
| Okinawa | Chóngshéng (沖繩)[1] | Translation | Cord of the open sea | |
| Ōsaka | Dàbǎn (大坂)[1] | Translation | Big hillside | |
| Ryūkyū Islands | Liúqiú Qúndǎo (琉球群岛) | Translation-transcription mix | ||
| Sapporo | Zháhuǎng (札幌)[1] | Translation | Placard canopy | |
| Tōkyō | Dōngjīng (東京)[1] | Translation | East(ern) capital | |
Jordan
 Jordan Yuēdàn (约旦) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Amman | Ānmàn (安曼)[1] | Transcription | 'Ammān (عمان) | Arabic | ||
Laos
 Laos Lǎowō (老挝); abbreviated as Liáo (寮, Taiwan only) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlternatIve name(s): Liáoguó (寮国) | |||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Vientiane | Wànxiàng (万象)[1] | Transcription | Wīangchan (ວຽງຈັນ) | Lao | |
| Yǒngzhēn (永珍)[15] | Transcription | This transcription is used in Taiwan only. | |||
Mexico
 Mexico Mòxīgē (墨西哥); abbreviated as Mò (墨, Taiwan only) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Baja California | Xià Jiālìfúníyǎ Zhōu (下加利福尼亚州) | Translation-transcription mix | Lower California State | |||
| Ciudad Juaéz | Huáléisī Chéng (华雷斯城) | Translation-transcription mix | City of Juarez | |||
| Mexico City | Mòxīgē Chéng (墨西哥城) | Translation-transcription mix | Mexico City | Ciudad de México | Spanish | |
| Cancūn | Kǎnkūn (坎昆) | Transcription | ||||
Nepal
 Nepal Níbóěr (尼泊尔) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Kathmandu | Jiādémǎndōu (加德满都) | Transcription | Kathmandu (काठमाडौं) | Nepali | ||
| Mount Everest | Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng (珠穆朗玛峰) | Translation-transcription mix | Chomolungma Mountain | Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा) | Nepali | The Chinese name is based on the Tibetan name of the mountain. |
New Zealand
 New Zealand Xīnxīlán (新西兰) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Niǔxīlán (纽西兰, Taiwan only) | ||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Auckland | Àokèlán (奥克兰) | Transcription | ||
| Christchurch | Jīdū Chéng (基督城) | Translation | Christ City | |
| Wellington | Huìlíngdùn (惠灵顿) | Transcription | ||
North Korea
In Chinese, the country can be referred to as North Korea, but it is usually referred to just by the cognate for the endonym, Choson (조선).
 North Korea [Běi] Cháoxiǎn ([北]朝鲜) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Meaning | Language | ||
| Korea Bay | Xīcháoxiǎnwān (西朝鲜湾) | Translation | West Choson
Bay |
Sŏjosŏn Man (서조선만) | West Choson
Bay |
Korean | This name uses the Chinese name for North Korea, Cháoxiǎn (朝鲜) |
| Xīhánwān
(西韩湾) |
Translation | West Han
Bay |
Sǒhan Man (서한만) | West Han Bay | Korean | This name uses the Chinese name for South Korea, Hán (韩) | |
| Paektu Mountain | Chǎngbáishān (长白山) | Translation | Long White Mountain | Baekdu San (백두산) | White-head Mountain | Korean | The mountain is set on the China-North Korea border, which is why the mountain has noticeably different names in both languages |
| Pyongyang | Píngrǎng
(平壤) |
Translation | Peaceful Soil | Pyŏngyang (평양) | Peaceful Soil | Korean | |
| Tumen River | Túmen Jiāng (图们江) | Transcription | Duman Gang
(두만강) |
Korean | |||
| Yalu River | Yālǜ Jiāng
(鸭绿江) |
Unknown | Duck-green River | Amnok Gang (압록강) | Korean | The origin of the name is unknown, though it possibly came from the Manchu name Yalu Ula (ᠶᠠᠯᡠ ᡠᠯᠠ) | |
Philippines
 Philippines Fēilǜbīn (菲律宾); abberviated by Fēi (菲) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Manila | Mǎnílā (马尼拉) | Transcription | Maynilà | Filipino | |
Poland
 Poland Bōlán (波兰); abberviated by Bō (波) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Warsaw | Huáshā (华沙)[16] | Transcription | Warszawa | Polish | |
Portugal
 Portugal Pútáoyá (葡萄牙); abbreviated by Pú (葡) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Lisbon | Lǐsīběn (里斯本)[1] | Transcription | Lisboa | Portuguese | More common name | |
| Pújīng (葡京)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Portuguese capital | ||||
Russia
 Russia Éluósī (俄罗斯); abbreviated by É (俄) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Éguó (俄国) | |||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Moscow | Mòsīkē (莫斯科)[1] | Transcription | Moskva | Russian | |
| Saint Petersburg | Shèng Bǐdébǎo (圣彼得堡) [1] | Translation-transcription mix | |||
Saudi Arabia
 Saudi Arabia Shātè Ālābó (沙特阿拉伯); abbreviated by Shātè (沙特) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Shāguó (沙国, Taiwan only) | |||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Mecca | Màijiā (麦加)[1] | Transcription | Makkah | Arabic | |
South Korea
In Chinese, the country is not usually referred to as South Korea, but by the cognate for the endonym, Hanguk (한국).
 South Korea Hánguó (韩国); abbreviated by Hán (韩) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Nánhán (南韩), Náncháoxiǎn (南朝鲜) | ||||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Busan | Fǔshān (釜山) | Translation | Cauldron Mountain | Busan (부산) | Korean | |
| Gangnam | Jiāngnán (江南) | Translation | South of the River | Gangnam (강남) | Korean | |
| Incheon | Rénchuān (仁川) | Translation | Benevolent River | Inchŏn (인천) | Korean | |
| Korea Bay | Xīcháoxiǎnwān (西朝鲜湾) | Translation | West Choson
Bay |
Sŏjosŏn Man (서조선만) | Korean | This name uses the Chinese name for North Korea, Cháoxiǎn (朝鲜) |
| Xīhánwān
(西韩湾) |
Translation | West Han
Bay |
Sǒhan Man
(서한만) |
Korean | This name uses the Chinese name for South Korea, Hán (韩) | |
| Pyeongchang | Píngchāng (平昌) | Translation | Peaceful Radiance | Pyŏngchang (평창) | Korean | |
| Seoul | Hànchéng (漢城)[1] | Translation | Han River city, large city | Sǒul (서울) | Korean | |
| Shǒu'ěr (首爾)[1] | Transcription | Seoul (Korean 서울) had no official hanja until 2005. | ||||
Sri Lanka
 Sri Lanka Sīlǐlánkǎ (斯里兰卡) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Colombo | Kēlúnpō (科伦坡) | Transcription | Kolamba (කොළඹ) | Sinhala | |
| Kělúnpō (可伦坡) | Transcription | Kozhumpu (கொழும்பு) | Tamil | Exonym used in Taiwan only | |
Syria
 Syria Xùlìyǎ (叙利亚); abbreviated by Xù (叙) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Damascus | Dàmǎshìgé (大马士革) | Transcription | Dimašq (دمشق) | Arabic | |
Turkey
 Turkey Tǔ'ěrqí (土耳其) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Istanbul | Yīsītǎnbù'ěr (伊斯坦布尔) | Transcription | Istanbul | Turkish | |
Thailand
 Thailand Tàiguó (泰国); abbreviated by Tài (泰) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Bangkok | Màngǔ (曼谷)[1] | Transcription | Krung Thep (กรุงเทพ) | Thai | Transcription thru Teochew dialect of Hokkien; where 曼谷 is pronounced as "bhuêng2 gog4" | |
| Chiang Mai | Qīngmài (清迈)[1] | Transcription | Chiangmai (เชียงใหม่) | Thai | Transcription thru Teochew dialect of Hokkien, where 清迈 is pronounced as "cêng1 mai6" | |
| Chiang Rai | Qīnglái (清莱) | Transcription | Chiangrai
(ชียงราย) |
Thai | ||
United Kingdom
 United Kingdom Yīngguó (英国); abbreviated by 英 (Yīng) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): [Dàyīng] Liánhé Wángguó ([大英] 联合王国) | ||||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Cambridge | Jiànqiáo (剑桥)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Sword bridge | |||
| Cardiff | Jiādefū[17] | Transcription | ||||
| England | Yīnggélán (英格兰)[1] | Transcription | ||||
| Yīngjílì (英吉利)[1] | Transcription | |||||
| Yīnglún (英伦)[1] | Transcription | |||||
| Liverpool | Lìwùpǔ (利物浦)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | ||||
| Oxford | Niújīn (牛津)[1] | Translation | Where the oxen ford | |||
| Scotland | Sūgélán (苏格兰)[1] | Transcription | ||||
| Wales | Wèiěrshí (威尔士)[1] | Transcription | ||||
| Westminster | Xīmǐn (西敏)[18] | Translation-transcription mix | ||||
| York | Yuēkè (约克)[19] | Transcription | ||||
United States
 United States Měiguó (美国); abbreivated as Měi (美) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative name(s): Yàměilìjiā (亚美利加), Měilìjiān (美利坚), Měilìjiān Hézhòngguó (美利坚合众国), Mĭguó (米国) | ||||||
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Buffalo | Shuǐniúchéng (水牛城)[1] | Translation | Water buffalo city | |||
| California | Jiāzhōu (加州)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | ||||
| Colorado Springs | Kēluólāduōquán (科羅拉多泉)[20] | Translation-transcription mix | ||||
| Florida | Fózhōu (佛州)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | ||||
| Honolulu | Tánxiāngshān (檀香山)[1] | Translation | Fragrant sandalwood mountain | |||
| Los Angeles | Luòshānjī (洛杉矶)[1] | Transcription | ||||
| Phoenix | Fènghuángchéng (鳳凰城)[1] | Translation | Fenghuang City | |||
| Saint Louis | Shènglùyìsī (圣路易斯)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Shèng (圣) is used for place names that contain the word "Saint" or one of its cognates in another language. Interestingly enough, Shèng (圣) and "Saint" are false cognates. | |||
| Salt Lake City | Yánhúchéng (盐湖城) | Translation | Salt Lake City | |||
| San Diego | Shèngdìyàgē (圣地亚哥)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Shèng (圣) is used for place names that contain the word "Saint" or one of its cognates in another language. Interestingly enough, Shèng (圣) and "Saint" are false cognates. | |||
| San Francisco | Jiùjīnshān (旧金山)[1] | Translation | Old Gold Mountain | Early Chinese immigrants and migrant workers to the United States nicknamed the city "Old Gold Mountain" in reference to the California Gold Rush, as many Chinese would come to search for gold in California and would arrive in the country via San Francisco.[21] Many Chinese called the city "Gold Mountain". However, when gold was discovered in Melbourne, Australia, San Francisco was re-nicknamed "Old Gold Mountain" and Melbourne was nicknamed "New Gold Mountain", or 新金山 (Xīn jīnshān) in Chinese.[2] | ||
| Sānfānshì (三藩市)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Official name | ||||
| Santa Fe | Shèngtǎfēi (圣塔菲)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Shèng (圣) is used for place names that contain the word "Saint" or one of its cognates in another language. Interestingly enough, Shèng (圣) and "Saint" are false cognates. | |||
| Washington D.C. | Huáshèngdùn(tèqū) (华盛顿 (特区))[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Washington (special district) | |||
Uzbekistan
 Uzbekistan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Baku | Bākù (巴库) | Bakı | Azerbaijani | |
| Fergana | *Dàyuān (大宛) | Reconstructed pronunciation | ||
Vietnam
 Vietnam Yuènán (越南); abbreviated by Yuè (越) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | |||
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | Name | Language | ||
| Danang | Xiàn Gǎng (岘港) | Translation | steep hill harbor | Đà Nẵng | Vietnamese | |
| Haiphong | Hǎi Fáng (海防) | Translation | sea defence | Hải Phòng | Vietnamese | |
| Halong | Xià Lóng (下龙) | Translation | descending dragon | Hạ Long | Vietnamese | |
| Hanoi | Hé Nèi (河内)[1] | Translation | within the river | Hà Nội | Vietnamese | |
| Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) | Hú Zhì Míng Shì (胡志明市)[1] | Translation-transcription mix | Ho Chi Minh City | Thành phó Hò Chí Minh (TPHCM) | Vietnamese | Hú Zhìmíng (胡志明) is the Chinese pronunciation of the Chinese characters that make up the name Ho Chi Minh |
| Hue | Shùn Huà (顺化) | Translation | Huế | Vietnamese | ||
Yemen
 Yemen Yěmén (也门) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Mandarin name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Type | Name | Language | ||
| Sanaa | Sànà (萨纳) | Transcription | Sana'a | Standard Arabic | |
International bodies of water
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Amazon River | Yàmǎxùn Hé
(亚马逊河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Amazon River | |
| Arabian Sea | Ālābó Hǎi
(阿拉伯海) |
Translation-transcription mix | Arab(ian) Sea | |
| Arctic Ocean | Běibīng Yáng
(北冰洋) |
Translation | North(ern) Ice Ocean | |
| Atlantic Sea | Dàxī Yánghǎi
(大西洋海) |
Translation | Great West(ern) Ocean | The Chinese translation differs from the European names of the ocean, which are named after the fictional city of Atlantis. |
| Baltic Sea | Bōluódìhǎi
(波罗的海) |
Translation-transcription mix | Baltic Sea | |
| Black Sea | Hēihǎi
(黑海) |
Translation | Black Sea | |
| Danube River | Duōnǎo Hé
(多瑙河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Donau River | The Chinese name for the river is based on the German name, Donau. |
| Dead Sea | Sǐhǎi
(死海) |
Translation | Dead Sea | |
| East China Sea | Dōnghǎi
(东海) |
Translation | East Sea | |
| Indian Ocean | Yìndùyáng
(印度洋) |
Translation-transcription mix | India(n) Ocean | |
| Jordan River | Yuēdàn Hé
(亚马逊河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Jordan River | |
| Mekong River | Méigōng Hé
(湄公河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Mekong River | |
| Mediterranean Sea | Dìzhōnghǎi
(地中海) |
Translation | Earth Center Sea | |
| Nile River | Níluó Hé
(尼罗河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Nile River | |
| Pacific Ocean | Tàipíng Yáng
(太平洋) |
Translation | Wide Calm Ocean | |
| Persian Gulf | Bōsī Wān
(波斯湾) |
Translation-transcription mix | Persia(n) Gulf | |
| Rhine River | Láiyīn Hé
(莱茵河) |
Translation-transcription mix | Rhine River | |
| Sea of Japan | Rìběn Hǎi
(日本海) |
Translation | Japan(ese) Sea | |
| South China Sea | Nánhǎi
(南海) |
Translation | South Sea | |
| Yellow Sea | Huánghǎi
(黄海) |
Translation | Yellow Sea | |
International landmarks and regions
| English name | Mandarin name | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Hanzi meaning | ||
| Alps | Ā'ěrbēisī Shānmài
(阿尔卑斯山脉) |
Translation-transcription mix | Alp Mountain Range | |
| Amazon Rainforest | Yàmǎxùn Rèdài Yǔlín
(亚马逊热带雨林) |
Translation-transcription mix | Amazon Tropical Rainforest | |
| Andes Mountains | Āndìsī Shānmài
(安第斯山脉) |
Translation-transcription mix | Andes Mountain Range | |
| Balkans | Bā'ěrgàn Bàndǎo
(巴尔干半岛) |
Translation-transcription mix | Balkan Peninsula | |
| Baltic states | Bōluódìhǎi Guójiā
(波罗的海国家) |
Translation-transcription mix | Baltic Countries | |
| British Isles | Bùlièdiān Zhūdǎo (不列颠诸岛) | Translation-transcription mix | British Archipelago | |
| Caribbean Islands | Jiālèbǐ Qúndǎo
(加勒比群岛) |
Translation-transcription mix | Caribbean Archipelago | |
| Central Asia | Zhōngyà (中亚) | Translation-transcription mix | Central Asia | |
| East Asia | Dōngyà (东亚) | Translation-transcription mix | East Asia | |
| Eurasia | Ōuyà Dàlù
(欧亚大陆) |
Translation-transcription mix | Eurasia(n) Mainland | |
| Himalayas | Xǐmǎlāyǎ Shānmài
(喜马拉雅山脉) |
Translation-transcription mix | Himalaya Mountain Range | |
| Middle East | Zhōngdōng
(中东) |
Translation | Middle East | |
| Xīyǎ (西亚) | Translation-transcription mix | West Asia | ||
| Latin America | Lādīng Měizhōu (拉丁美洲) | Translation-transcription mix | Latin America(n) (Continent) | |
| Rocky Mountains | Luòjī Shānmài
(落基山脉) |
Translation-transcription mix | Falling Base Mountain Range | The Chinese word 洛基 literally means "falling base", but the pronunciation, luòjī, is an approximate transcription of the English word "rocky" |
| Scandinavia | Sīkāndìnàwéiyǎ Bàndǎo
(斯堪的纳维亚半岛) |
Translation-transcription mix | Scandinavia(n) Peninsula | |
| Sahara Desert | Sǎhālā Shāmò
(撒哈拉沙漠) |
Translation-transcription mix | Sahara Desert | |
| South Asia | Nányà (南亚) | Translation-transcription mix | South Asia | |
| Southeast Asia | Dōngnányà (东南亚) | Translation-transcription mix | Southeast Asia | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Sǎhālā Yǐnán Fēizhōu
(撒哈拉以南非洲) |
Translation-transcription mix | Africa South of Sahara | |
| Ural Mountains | Wūlā'ěr Shānmài
(乌拉尔山脉) |
Translation-transcription mix | Ural Mountain Range | |
See also
References
- "Pinyin Places". pinyinplaces.com. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- Qian, Jīnghuá. "Chinatown: Melbourne is the Australian City With a Chinese Heart". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- "巴西利亚". 巴西利亚 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "里约热内卢". 里约热内卢 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "亚历山大". 亚历山大 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "Google地图". Google地图 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-12.
- "柏林". 柏林 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-12.
- "科隆". 科隆 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-12.
- "汉堡". 汉堡 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-12.
- "慕尼黑". 慕尼黑 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-12.
- "海地". 海地 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "冰岛". 冰岛 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- Eresen, Erik. "Menelusuri Sejarah Dari Nama Tionghoa Kota-Kota Di Indonesia" (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2018-06-29.
- "15 Kota di Indonesia dalam Bahasa Mandarin" (in Indonesian).
- "永珍". 永珍 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- "华沙". 华沙 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-28.
- "加的夫". 加的夫 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "Google地图". Google地图 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "约克". 约克 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "Google地图". Google地图 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- Hua, Vanessa (2004-06-27). "THE NEW GOLD MOUNTAIN". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
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