國語

Chinese

		country; state; nation	speech; language; dialect speech; language; dialect; tell to
trad. (國語)		國	語
simp. (国语)		国	语

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guóyǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄩˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gwok³ jyu⁵

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gok² ngui^4*

• Gan (Wiktionary): guet⁶ 'nyy³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): koet-ngî

  (Hailu, HRS): gued ngi^ˋ

• Eastern Min (BUC): guók-ngṳ̄
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kok-gú / kok-gír / kok-gí / kok-ú

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gog⁴ ghe²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁷koq-gniu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guóyǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄩˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guóyǔ
    • Wade–Giles: kuo²-yü³
    • Yale: gwó-yǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gwoyeu
    • Palladius: гоюй (gojuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯ɔ³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gwok³ jyu⁵
    • Yale: gwok yúh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gwok⁸ jy⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: guog³ yu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷɔːk̚³ jyː¹³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gok² ngui^4*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔk̚⁵⁵ ᵑɡui²¹⁻²¹⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: guet⁶ 'nyy³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuɛt̚⁵ ˈn̠ʲy²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: koet-ngî
    • Hakka Romanization System: gued^ˋ ngi^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gued⁵ ngi¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ku̯et̚² ŋi²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: gued ngi^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /kuet⁵⁻² ŋi⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: guók-ngṳ̄
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuoʔ²⁴⁻³⁵ ŋy³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-gú
    • Tâi-lô: kok-gú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kokguo
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /kɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡu⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-gír
    • Tâi-lô: kok-gír
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡɯ⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Kaohsiung, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-gí
    • Tâi-lô: kok-gí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kokgie
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɔk̚³²⁻⁵ ɡi⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jinjiang, Philippines): /kɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡi⁵⁵⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /kɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡi⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-ú
    • Tâi-lô: kok-ú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kok'uo
    • Sinological IPA (Penang): /kɔk̚³⁻⁴ u⁴⁴⁵/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gog⁴ ghe²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kok gṳ́
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kok̚²⁻⁴ ɡɯ⁵²⁻²¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁷koq-gniu
    • MiniDict: koh^入 nyu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴koq-nyy
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /koʔ³³ n̠ʲy⁴⁴/

Noun

國語

1. national language; language specific to or of official usage in a nation
   1. (chiefly Taiwan, overseas communities in the West and Philippine Hokkien, colloquial or historical in Hong Kong, dated in Mainland China, obsolete in Malaysia and Singapore) Standard Mandarin Chinese; Standard Chinese

      你會說國語嗎？／你会说国语吗？  ―  Nǐ huì shuō guóyǔ ma?  ―  Do you speak Mandarin?

   2. (usually in contrast with 普通話／普通话 (pǔtōnghuà, “Mandarin as spoken in Mainland China”)) Taiwanese Mandarin; Mandarin as spoken in Taiwan
   3. (Malaysia) Malay, the national language of Malaysia
   4. (obsolete in Taiwan) the Japanese language
   5. (historical) under conquest dynasties founded by non-Han groups, the language of the conquering ethnic group: Khitan under the Liao, Mongol under the Yuan, Manchu under the Qing, etc.
      • 1842, 魏源, 聖武記, volume 1, page 12:

        族類同，則語言同，水土同，衣冠居處同，城郭土著射獵習俗同。故命文臣依國語製國書，不用蒙古、漢字。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        族类同，则语言同，水土同，衣冠居处同，城郭土著射猎习俗同。故命文臣依国语制国书，不用蒙古、汉字。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        Zúlèi tóng, zé yǔyán tóng, shuǐtǔ tóng, yīguàn jūchù tóng, chéngguō tǔzhù shèliè xísú tóng. Gù mìng wénchén yī guóyǔ zhì guóshū, bù yòng Ménggǔ, hànzì. [Pinyin]

        (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   6. (Korean Classical Chinese) the Korean language
   7. (Vietnamese Classical Chinese) the Vietnamese language; chữ Nôm

Usage notes

• In mainland China, Standard Mandarin is usually called 中文 (Zhōngwén) or 普通話／普通话 (pǔtōnghuà), while 國語／国语 (guóyǔ) may also be used colloquially, especially in regions where non-Mandarin varieties are spoken. 漢語／汉语 (Hànyǔ) is also commonly used in formal situations and by ethnic minorities to contrast it with their own ethnic language.
• In Taiwan, it is most commonly referred to as 中文 (Zhōngwén) or 國語／国语 (guóyǔ) when speaking Mandarin; while 華語／华语 (Huáyǔ) is often used when distinguishing Mandarin from the other national languages, such as Taiwanese and Hakka; when speaking Taiwanese and Hakka; and in foreign-facing contexts.
• In Hong Kong and Macau, it has usually been called 國語／国语, but 普通話／普通话 is becoming more common with further immigration from and integration with mainland China.
• In Singapore, Malaysia and much of South East Asia, it is most commonly referred to as 華語／华语 (Huáyǔ).

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 普通話 (“Modern Standard Chinese; Standard Mandarin”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		現代標準漢語
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	普通話
	Taiwan	中文, 國語, 華語
	Ulanhot	漢語
	Malaysia	華語, 華文
	Singapore	華語, 華文
	Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	中國話
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	漢語
Southwestern Mandarin	Guilin	普通話
	Oudomxay	中國話
Cantonese	Guangzhou	普通話, 普語
	Hong Kong	普通話, 國語
	Macau	普通話, 國語
	Taishan	普通話
	Nanning	普通話
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	華語
	Singapore (Guangfu)	華語
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	普通話, 國語 dated
Gan	Nanchang	國語 dated
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	華語
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	華語
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	華語
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	華語
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	華語
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	華語
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	普通話, 國語 dated
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	華文
Southern Min	Xiamen	普通話, 國語 dated
	Quanzhou	普通話
	Jinjiang	國語
	Zhangzhou	普通話
	Tainan	華語, 國語 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	華語, 唐儂話
	Singapore (Hokkien)	華語, 唐儂話
	Manila (Hokkien)	國語, 國語話, 華語, 普通話
	Longyan	普通話
	Chaozhou	普通話
	Shantou	普通話
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	普通話
	Singapore (Teochew)	華語, 唐儂話
Wu	Shanghai	普通閒話
	Suzhou	普通閒話
	Ningbo	普通閒話
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Dialectal synonyms of 馬來語 (“the Malay language”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		馬來語, 馬來文
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	馬來語
	Malaysia	馬來語, 馬來話, 馬來文, 巫語, 巫文, 國語, 國文
	Singapore	馬來語, 馬來話, 馬來文, 巫語
Cantonese	Hong Kong	馬拉話, 馬拉文
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	馬拉話
	Singapore (Guangfu)	馬拉話
Southern Min	Penang (Hokkien)	番仔話, 番仔
	Singapore (Hokkien)	番仔話, 番仔
	Manila (Hokkien)	馬來話
	Singapore (Teochew)	番囝話
	Wenchang	馬來話
Wu	Shanghai	馬來西亞閒話, 馬來閒話

Derived terms

• 先達國語 / 先达国语 (Xiāndá guóyǔ)
• 國語文 / 国语文
• 國語會 / 国语会
• 國語注音符號第二式 / 国语注音符号第二式 (Guóyǔ Zhùyīn Fúhào Dì'èr Shì)
• 國語羅馬字 / 国语罗马字 (Guóyǔ Luómǎzì)
• 臺灣國語 / 台湾国语 (Táiwān Guóyǔ)

Related terms

• 漢語／汉语 (Hànyǔ)
• 普通話／普通话 (pǔtōnghuà)
• 中國話／中国话 (Zhōngguóhuà)
• 中文 (Zhōngwén)
• 華語／华语 (Huáyǔ)

Proper noun

國語

1. Discourses of the States (a text from the Spring and Autumn period)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
國	語
こく Jinmeiyō	ご Grade: 2
on'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 國語 – see the following entry.

【国語こくご】 [noun] a language; a national language [noun] (specifically) the Japanese language [noun] Mandarin; Standard Mandarin (Guoyu)

(This term, 國語, is the kyūjitai of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
國	語

Noun

國語 • (gugeo) (hangeul 국어)

1. hanja form^? of 국어 (“national language; Korean”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
國	語

Noun

國語

1. chữ Hán form of quốc ngữ (“national language, the modern Vietnamese writing system based on the Roman alphabet”)

See also

• 字儒/𡨸儒 (chữ Nho)
• 字喃/𡨸喃 (chữ Nôm)