Meaning
country; nation; state
Chinese: 国家、疆域或政权。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “guo” becomes a different word in each tone. 国 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 国家guó jiācountry; nation; state
- 国外guó wàiabroad; external (affairs); overseas; foreign
- 外国wài guóforeign country
- 全国quán guówhole nation; nationwide; countrywide; national
- 国际guó jìinternational
Example Sentence
我们用语言认识世界，也认识自己的国家。Wǒ men yòng yǔ yán rèn shi shì jiè, yě rèn shi zì jǐ de guó jiā.We use language to understand the world, and also our own country.
我们Wǒ menwe用语yòng yǔchoice of words言yánwords认识rèn shito know世界shì jièworld，也yěalso认识rèn shito know自己zì jǐoneself的deof国家guó jiācountry。
Memory Note
The traditional form 國 suggests an enclosed territory. It is a helpful image for remembering country or nation.
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
An enclosure (囗, a boundary or wall) around 玉 (jade, a treasure): a walled territory worth defending — a 'country / state'. Simplified from 國 (which had 戈, a weapon, inside the wall).
A way to remember it
Treasure (玉) walled in (囗) — a country.
Easy to confuse with
- 图‘Picture / map’: also a 囗 enclosure, but with a different inside.