1.Chixian Shenzhou (the Sacred Earth and Divine Land)
In the Chinese historical book Shiji-Biographies of Mencius and Xunqing, there was a man named Yanyan in the Qi State in the Warring States Period (475-221BC) who said that China was Chixian Shenzhou (the sacred earth and divine land). From then on, people sometimes called China Chixian Shenzhou. But people usually used this name separatelyto call China Chixian or Shenzhou.
2.Hua
In ancient times Hua meant flowers and denotes something beautiful and glorious. There are three interpretations of Hua:
Firstly, ancient people in the Central Plains regarded themselves as civilized people who dressed neatly and elegantly, so they named themselves asHua.
Secondly, Hua denotes the red color. People in the Zhou Dynasty (11thcentury - 256BC) liked the red color so much that they took it as the symbol of blissfulness and so called themselves Hua.
Thirdly,Huais of a long history as the shortened form of the ancient nameHuaxiaof China.
3.Zhonghua
Before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Huaxia nationality named their motherland Zhongguo, and after that, it developed into a nation of various nationalities, and was then called Zhonghua Nation (known as Chinese Nation).ZhongdenotesChina and Hua is the Huaxia nationality for short. Zhonghua Nationis the collective name for all the nationalities in China.
4.Xia
In ancient times Xia meaned big and huge. The first slavery country in Chinese history was the Xia Dynasty established by Dayu (the Great Yu). After that China was frequently referred to as Xia.
5.Huaxia
In ancient China, the Huaxia nationality living in the Central Plains and other nationalities in the north and south all gave in to the Shang Dynasty (17thcentury- 11 century BC). And later on China was referred to as Huaxia since it was largest nationality at that time.
6.Yucheng,Yunji andYudian
A historical legend has that once China was besieged by flood and a man called Dayu came out boldly and organized people to fight against the disaster. After that Dayu divided China into nine administrative divisions according to the skeleton map of China. As time passed, China is called Yucheng (the city of Yu), Yuji (Yu's footmark) and Yudian (Yu's administration).
7.Jiuzhou (known as the nine administrative divisions)
After Dayu's fighting against the flood in the Xia Dynasty (the 21stcentury - 17thcentury BC), China was divided into nine administrative divisions: Ji, Yan, Qing, Jing, Yang, Liang, Yong, Xun and Yu. According to the ancient bookHuainanzi-The Landform, China was divided into nine administrative divisions: Shenzhou, Cizhou, Rongzhou, Zizhou, ji*zhou, Taizhou, ji*zhou, Bozhou and Yangzhou. Hence Jiuzhou was used to stand for China and many other names derived from it: Jiuyu, Jiuyou, Jiutu and Jiuqu.
8.Hainei (within the seas)
The ancient people thought that China was surrounded by seas, so they named China Hainei(within the seas) and foreign countries Haiwai (overseas).
FAQs
However, there are alternative suggestions for the etymology of this word. Chinese names for China, aside from Zhongguo, include 中华; 中華; Zhōnghuá; 'central beauty', 华夏; 華夏; Huáxià; 'beautiful grandness', 神州; Shénzhōu; 'divine state' and 九州; Jiǔzhōu; 'nine states'.
What are the other names for ancient China? ›
Before the adoption of the name "Zhongguo," China was known by various regional names, such as "Yan," "Zhao," "Qi," and "Wei." During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), the various regions were unified under a single emperor, and the name "Zhongguo" was first used to refer to the unified territory.
What is China also known as? ›
The official name of the modern state is the "People's Republic of China" (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國; pinyin: Zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó).
What are nicknames for China? ›
China – The Red Dragon
The dragon is as much part of Chinese culture today as it has been throughout the centuries; hence it has become the country's nickname.
What is the name of China in the Bible? ›
In modern Hebrew, Sin (Hebrew: סין) is the word for China, just as modern Hebrew uses other ambiguous biblical place names for contemporary countries, such as Sfarad (Hebrew: ספרד) for Spain and Tzarfat (Hebrew: צרפת) for France.
Why is a China called a China? ›
That's why it gradually replaced pottery in the ceramic history. It is called china in English because it was first made in China, which fully explains that the delicate porcelain can be the representative of China.
What is the Russian name for China? ›
Kitai is still the Russian word for China. Either Muslim merchants or two Franciscan friars who visited the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum in 1246 and 1254 are thought to have introduced the name Cathay to Europe.
How did they name China? ›
It is believed to come from Middle Persian. Though some people thought it traced further back to Sanskrit. Some also thought that the ultimate source of the name China is the Chinese word "Qin" (Chinese: 秦), the name of the dynasty of China.
What is the Japanese name for China? ›
As a result, it fell into disuse following World War II and is now viewed as offensive, with the standard Japanese name for China being replaced by 中国 (Chūgoku).
What was China called before 1912? ›
The Qing (or Ch'ing) dynasty, also called the Manchu (or Manzu) dynasty, was the last of the imperial dynasties of China, spanning from 1644 to 1911/12.
The Chinese word for America is "Měiguó", or literally "the beautiful country".
What do Chinese call their BF? ›
One of the most common Chinese nicknames that Chinese couples use for their significant other is 亲爱的 qīn'ài de. It is used the same way as the English term “darling” or “dearest.” You can call your loved one 亲爱的 regardless of gender, and the term is used not only by dating couples but also by married couples.
What is the Chinese name for love? ›
The word 愛 (ài) means “love” or “lovely” and is pronounced like the English letter “I.” This character 愛 (ài) can be used as a standalone name or combined with other Chinese characters.
What is a nickname for your boyfriend? ›
If you're in a relationship, it's not unusual to give your partner nicknames, including but not limited to: bae, baby, my love, boo, sweetheart, etc. Turns out these pet names aren't just cute (even though, okay, some might sound silly), but they can actually be a super important part of your relationship.
What is the old English name for China? ›
Cathay (/kæˈθeɪ/ ka-THAY) is a historical name for China that was used in Europe. During the early modern period, the term Cathay initially evolved as a term referring to what is now Northern China, completely separate and distinct from China, which was a reference to southern China.
Why is China called Huaxia? ›
Huaxia (Chinese: 華夏; pinyin: huáxià) is a historical concept representing the Chinese nation, and came from the self-awareness of a common cultural ancestry by the various confederations of pre-Qin ethnic ancestors of Han people.
What is the old name of Taiwan? ›
It is commonly believed that European sailors passing Taiwan record the island's name as Ilha Formosa, or beautiful island.
