<p>In Modern Chinese, 国 means a sovereign state, e.g. 中国, 英国, 美国, 德国, etc. In ancient times, 国 could also mean a non-sovereign state, e.g. 楚国, 齐国, 赵国, etc. Anyway, 国 emphasizes the government's control of a specific land.</p>

<p>As a result, 中国 can only refer to the sovereign state that is named China, while 中华 is more likely to refer to the ethnicity or nation that is named China.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:31:26.827Z
How about 我来自中国 vs 我来自中華, or 中国队 vs 中華队?
Zuriel
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:34:13.600Z
@Zuriel   I think the former one is more common. 中华 is more likely to denotes to the Chinese culture, such as 中华民族 (Chinese nation), which may even include some people from Singapore and Malaysia.
Victor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:37:40.277Z
see for example https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20180821000043-260403
Zuriel
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:42:22.587Z
@Zuriel Sometimes people say 中华队 as the abbreviation of 中华民国队 (the team from the Republic of China, i.e. Taiwan), in contrast to the team from the People's Republic of China, i.e. Mainland China.
Victor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T16:53:35.407Z
2019-01-17T16:53:35.407Z
Victor
<p>For example, Chinese Taipei can be translated either as 中国台北 or 中华台北。Are 中国 and 中华 synonyms?</p>

<p>If there is any differnce between 中国 and 中华，how to reflect the difference in English translation?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T15:59:53.983Z
Basically 中国 means PRC. 中华 means Chinese culture area(with specific usage).
sfy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T16:54:15.370Z
There is a huge difference, and in English translation it's necessarily connected to which context and audience you're writing for. It would help if you could supply which context you are translating (culture, music, cuisine, politics, economics, history?)
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:02:40.337Z
@Michaelyus, for example, the Chinese Taipei team in the Olympic Games?
Zuriel
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:11:54.207Z
@Zuriel That would always be 中華臺北 as defined by itself, by the IOC, by the ROC, and currently also by the PRC. Between 1979 and 1989, the PRC used 中国台北 instead, but in 1989 the PRC's Olympic Committee and the ROC's Olympic Committee met in (then British) Hong Kong and signed a pact [detailing](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/24/content_6871657.htm) the use of 中華臺北 / 中华台北.
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-17T17:13:24.397Z
South Korea follows modern convention and uses 중화 타이베이 (Jung-_hwa_ Taibei), whilst Japan uses an English transliteration in katakana script, チャイニーズタイペイ (_Chainīzu_ Taipei).
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-11T07:15:48.023Z
I believe this Wikipedia article may help: [中华台北#“中华台北”与“中国台北”](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97#%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97%E3%80%8D%E8%88%87%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97%E3%80%8D)
tsh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-28T07:07:52.017Z
@Michaelyus The ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, China met with the same problem and sparked heated discussion of social media. There are many words that can represent China, for example, 华夏, 神州, 赤县, 九州,天朝,中原,唐山 and so on.
NanningYouth
<synonyms><terminology><place-names>
Are 中国 and 中华 synonyms?
# Are 中国 and 中华 synonyms?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-17)

For example, Chinese Taipei can be translated either as 中国台北 or 中华台北。Are 中国 and 中华 synonyms?

If there is any differnce between 中国 and 中华，how to reflect the difference in English translation?

**Tags:** synonyms, terminology, place-names

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Basically 中国 means PRC. 中华 means Chinese culture area(with specific usage).  
> **username_2**: There is a huge difference, and in English translation it's necessarily connected to which context and audience you're writing for. It would help if you could supply which context you are translating (culture, music, cuisine, politics, economics, history?)  
> **username_0**: @username_2, for example, the Chinese Taipei team in the Olympic Games?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 That would always be 中華臺北 as defined by itself, by the IOC, by the ROC, and currently also by the PRC. Between 1979 and 1989, the PRC used 中国台北 instead, but in 1989 the PRC's Olympic Committee and the ROC's Olympic Committee met in (then British) Hong Kong and signed a pact [detailing](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/24/content_6871657.htm) the use of 中華臺北 / 中华台北.  
> **username_2**: South Korea follows modern convention and uses 중화 타이베이 (Jung-_hwa_ Taibei), whilst Japan uses an English transliteration in katakana script, チャイニーズタイペイ (_Chainīzu_ Taipei).  
> **username_3**: I believe this Wikipedia article may help: [中华台北#“中华台北”与“中国台北”](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97#%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97%E3%80%8D%E8%88%87%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E8%87%BA%E5%8C%97%E3%80%8D)  
> **username_4**: @username_2 The ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, China met with the same problem and sparked heated discussion of social media. There are many words that can represent China, for example, 华夏, 神州, 赤县, 九州,天朝,中原,唐山 and so on.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-01-17. Score: 4

In Modern Chinese, 国 means a sovereign state, e.g. 中国, 英国, 美国, 德国, etc. In ancient times, 国 could also mean a non-sovereign state, e.g. 楚国, 齐国, 赵国, etc. Anyway, 国 emphasizes the government's control of a specific land.

As a result, 中国 can only refer to the sovereign state that is named China, while 中华 is more likely to refer to the ethnicity or nation that is named China.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: How about 我来自中国 vs 我来自中華, or 中国队 vs 中華队?  
> **username_5**: @username_0   I think the former one is more common. 中华 is more likely to denotes to the Chinese culture, such as 中华民族 (Chinese nation), which may even include some people from Singapore and Malaysia.  
> **username_0**: see for example https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20180821000043-260403  
> **username_5**: @username_0 Sometimes people say 中华队 as the abbreviation of 中华民国队 (the team from the Republic of China, i.e. Taiwan), in contrast to the team from the People's Republic of China, i.e. Mainland China.  

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