国 guó — country; nation; state
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.
Common words: 国家 (guó jiā)、国外 (guó wài)、外国 (wài guó)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "state"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "state", including 国 (guó), 状 (zhuàng), 州 (zhōu). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "state" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 国 (guó), 状 (zhuàng), 州 (zhōu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span guó, zhuàng, zhōu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 国 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 国 guócountry; nation; stateUseful words: 国家, 国外
- 状 zhuàngaccusation; suit; state; condition; strong; greatUseful words: 状态, 状况
- 州 zhōu(United States) state; province; sub-prefectureUseful words: 州长, 知州
Common words for these 3 "state" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 国 (guó) — so "state" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
国家guó jiācountry; nation; state国外guó wàiabroad; external (affairs); overseas; foreign外国wài guóforeign country状态zhuàng tàicondition; state; state of affairs状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state; situation形状xíng zhuàngform; shape州长zhōu zhǎnggovernor (of a province or colony); (US) state governor; (Australian) state premier知州zhī zhōusenior provincial government official in dynastic China州立zhōu lìstate-run
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 3 ways to say "state".
状 zhuàng — accusation; suit; state; condition; strong; great
他今天的状态很好。Tā jīn tiān de zhuàng tài hěn hǎo.He is in good condition today.
Common words: 状态 (zhuàng tài)、状况 (zhuàng kuàng)、形状 (xíng zhuàng)
州 zhōu — (United States) state; province; sub-prefecture
广州是中国南方的一座大城市。Guǎng zhōu shì Zhōng guó nán fāng de yí zuò dà chéng shì.Guangzhou is a big city in southern China.
Common words: 州长 (zhōu zhǎng)、知州 (zhī zhōu)、州立 (zhōu lì)
All 3 characters
Open 国、状、州 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.