<p>Yeah a lot of phrases in China were translated from Buddhism scripts written in Sanskrit.</p>
<p>The most famous one we use everyday is <a href="https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-hans/%E5%88%B9%E9%82%A3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">刹那</a></p>
<p>Even the name <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%9B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">佛</a> itself is from Sanskrit.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-18T10:10:44.023Z
Thanks for the answer
Dark Knight
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2022-05-12T18:13:13.413Z
2022-05-13T21:16:46.573Z
2022-05-13T21:16:46.573Z
Archeosudoerus
<p>India and China are neighboring countries, in ancient India sanskrit was spoken and in ancient China Chinese was spoken.</p>
<p>So could these two languages have influenced each other in any way.</p>

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2022-05-01T17:28:21.147Z
Mmm... looks like the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, is between the two countries. I can't imagine a ton of activities up there on the top of the world.
monalisa
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2022-05-02T02:41:19.283Z
From where do you get the idea? Just because they are neighbors? Religion-wise, China had been influenced by India, but I doubt there was any other similarity between the two oldest civilizations.
r13
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2022-05-02T16:48:55.740Z
@r13 It is believed to be a borrowing from Middle Persian, and some have traced it further back to Sanskrit.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_China#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20to%20be,state%20for%20many%20centuries%20 prior. If the word China can from sanskrit why not other words
Dark Knight
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2022-05-02T17:41:59.530Z
I think this question should be posted on the "History" forum. The wiki source is unconvincing, as China wasn't a unified country prior to the Qin dynasty (286-225 BC), I strongly believe, 中国 was named from then and after by the foreigners.
r13
<history>
Is Chinese language influenced by sanskrit and vice versa?
# Is Chinese language influenced by sanskrit and vice versa?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-01)

India and China are neighboring countries, in ancient India sanskrit was spoken and in ancient China Chinese was spoken.

So could these two languages have influenced each other in any way.

**Tags:** history

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Mmm... looks like the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, is between the two countries. I can't imagine a ton of activities up there on the top of the world.  
> **username_2**: From where do you get the idea? Just because they are neighbors? Religion-wise, China had been influenced by India, but I doubt there was any other similarity between the two oldest civilizations.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 It is believed to be a borrowing from Middle Persian, and some have traced it further back to Sanskrit.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_China#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20to%20be,state%20for%20many%20centuries%20 prior. If the word China can from sanskrit why not other words  
> **username_2**: I think this question should be posted on the "History" forum. The wiki source is unconvincing, as China wasn't a unified country prior to the Qin dynasty (286-225 BC), I strongly believe, 中国 was named from then and after by the foreigners.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-05-12. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Yeah a lot of phrases in China were translated from Buddhism scripts written in Sanskrit.

The most famous one we use everyday is [刹那](https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-hans/%E5%88%B9%E9%82%A3)

Even the name [佛](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%9B) itself is from Sanskrit.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the answer  

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