民 mín — the people; nationality; citizen
这首民歌很好听。Zhè shǒu mín gē hěn hǎo tīng.This folk song is very pleasant to hear.
Common words: 人民 (rén mín)、公民 (gōng mín)、农民 (nóng mín)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "nationality"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "nationality", including 民 (mín), 族 (zú). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "nationality" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 民 (mín), 族 (zú) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span mín, zú — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 民 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 民 mínthe people; nationality; citizenUseful words: 人民, 公民
- 族 zúrace; nationality; ethnicity; clanUseful words: 民族, 贵族
Common words for these 2 "nationality" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 民 (mín) — so "nationality" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "nationality".
族 zú — race; nationality; ethnicity; clan
中国有五十六个民族。Zhōng guó yǒu wǔ shí liù ge mín zú.China has fifty-six ethnic groups.
Common words: 民族 (mín zú)、贵族 (guì zú)、种族 (zhǒng zú)
All 2 characters
Open 民、族 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.