國

國 U+570B, 國 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-570B ← 圊 CJK Unified Ideographs 圌 →

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Stroke order (Taiwan)

Alternative forms

• 囗 (This character is used unofficially as a shorthand for 國 and 圍.)
• 𡆸 (Also a variant of 日.)
• 𡆻, 𡇎, 𡇏, 𡇕, 𡈑, 𢦾, 𢧌, 𤦒, 𤦂

Han character

國 (Kangxi radical 31, 囗+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 田戈口一 (WIRM), four-corner 6015₃, composition ⿴囗或)

Derived characters

• 𬿓, 嘓, 𪤑, 𫱣, 幗, 𢐚, 慖, 摑, 漍, 𤡓, 槶, 𤎍, 𤔩, 𪼓, 膕, 𥊞, 𥕏, 𦄰, 蟈, 𧤯, 𫏜, 𨉹, 𨫵, 𩠲, 𧰒, 𩪐, 𪅦
• 𢧷, 𣂽, 爴, 𭍲, 𭺙, 𤮋, 𭍷, 𫛐, 𰀖, 蔮, 簂, 𡳚, 𢠝

Related characters

• 国 (Japanese shinjitai and Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 219, character 16
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4798
• Dae Jaweon: page 447, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 720, character 9
• Unihan data for U+570B

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 國
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʷɯːɡ) : semantic 囗 (“closure”) + phonetic 或 (OC *ɡʷɯːɡ).

Etymology

The k-prefix derivation of 域 (OC *ɢʷrɯɡ, “boundary; territory”). Cognate with 閾 (OC *qʰʷrɯɡ, “threshold”) and 囿 (OC *ɢʷɯs, *ɡʷɯ, “park; garden”).

No obvious outside cognate exists. It may be related to Burmese ကွက် (kwak, “to be marked with a square or circular pattern; to be confined to a certain area”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Definitions

國

1. country; nation; nation-state; kingdom

   建國／建国  ―  jiànguó  ―  to establish a country

   利國利民／利国利民  ―  lì guó lì mín  ―  to benefit the country and the people

   國營／国营  ―  guóyíng  ―  state-operated; state-run

   • 子曰：「道千乘之國，敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「道千乘之国，敬事而信，节用而爱人，使民以时。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐ yuē: “Dào qiānshèng zhī guó, jìngshì ér xìn, jiéyòng ér àirén, shǐ mín yǐ shí.”

     The Master said, "To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons."

   • 你們要先求他的國和他的義，這些東西都要加給你們了。 [MSC, trad.]
     你们要先求他的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 新標點和合本 (Chinese Union Version with New Punctuation), 馬太福音 (Matthew) 6:33

     Nǐmen yào xiān qiú tā de guó hé tā de yì, zhèxiē dōngxi dōu yào jiā gěi nǐmen le.

     eek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

2. (obsolete) capital

   • 先王之制，大都不過參國之一。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     先王之制，大都不过参国之一。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Xiānwáng zhī zhì, dàdū bù guò sān guó zhī yī.

     According to the regulations of the former kings, such a city of the first order can have its wall only a third as long as that of the capital.

   • 登斯樓也，則有去國懷鄉，憂讒畏譏，滿目蕭然，感極而悲者矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     登斯楼也，则有去国怀乡，忧谗畏讥，满目萧然，感极而悲者矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1046, 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan), 岳陽樓記

     Dēng sī lóu yě, zé yǒu qùguó huáixiāng, yōuchánwèijī, mǎnmù xiāorán, gǎn jí ér bēi zhě yǐ.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. (obsolete) to make a place the capital city; to establish a capital

   • 國於豳。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     国于豳。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Guó yú Bīn.

     He made his capital at Pin.

4. (obsolete or in compounds) place; region

   山國／山国  ―  shānguó  ―  mountainous country; hilly region

   水鄉澤國／水乡泽国  ―  shuǐxiāngzéguó  ―  region full of rivers, lakes or canals

   • 紅豆生南國，春來發幾枝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     红豆生南国，春来发几枝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 8th century, 王維 (Wang Wei), 相思 (xiāngsī)

     Hóngdòu shēng nánguó, chūn lái fā jǐ zhī.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. (in compounds) national; representing a nation

   國旗／国旗  ―  guóqí  ―  national flag

   國歌／国歌  ―  guógē  ―  national anthem

   國花／国花  ―  guóhuā  ―  national flower

6. Short for 國語／国语 (guóyǔ, “Mandarin”).
7. Short for 國民黨／国民党 (Guómíndǎng, “Kuomintang”).

   國共內戰／国共内战  ―  Guó Gòng Nèizhàn  ―  the Chinese Civil War

8. domestic; of our country (in many contexts meaning Chinese)

   國產、日產／国产、日产  ―  guóchǎn, rìchǎn  ―  made domestically; made in Japan

   國畫／国画  ―  guóhuà  ―  traditional Chinese painting

   國貨／国货  ―  guóhuò  ―  domestic goods (China-made goods)

9. Classifier for countries (quasi-measure word).

   你會說幾國語言？ [MSC, trad.]
   你会说几国语言？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ huì shuō jǐ guó yǔyán?

   How many languages ​​do you speak?

10. a surname

Compounds