Meaning of 中文
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- Chinese language
How to use 中文
中文 is the everyday word for the Chinese language, especially written Chinese, and it often appears with verbs like 学 (xué), 说 (shuō), and 看 (kàn). Example: 我在学中文。(Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.) I am learning Chinese.
中 (zhōng) looks like a line passing through the center of a box, so it means middle, as in 中国 (Zhōngguó), the Middle Kingdom. Add 文 (wén), writing or language, and 中文 is the language of China.
Common mistake: Learners often say 中国文 or 中国语 by analogy with other languages. The normal word is 中文, and when you mean spoken Mandarin specifically, people often use 汉语 (Hànyǔ) or 普通话 (pǔtōnghuà).
中文 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
中 zhōng · within · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
文 wén · language · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 中文.
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon; midday |
| 中学 | zhōngxué | middle school |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student |
| 课文 | kèwén | text |
| 其中 | qízhōng | among; in |
| 中心 | zhōngxīn | center; heart; core |
| 高中 | gāozhōng | senior high school (abbr. for 高級中學|高级中学[gao1 ji2 zhong1 xue2]) |
| 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point; in one's thoughts |
| 英文 | Yīngwén | English (language) |
| 中年 | zhōngnián | middle age |
Questions about 中文
What does 中文 mean?
中文 (Zhōngwén) means "Chinese language" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 中文?
中文 is made of 2 characters: 中 (4 strokes), 文 (4 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 中文 an HSK word?
Yes. 中文 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 中文 and 汉语?
Both mean Chinese and are often interchangeable. 中文 is very common in daily life and for written text, like a Chinese menu or website. 汉语 (Hànyǔ) is more common in textbooks and for the spoken language as a subject of study.
How do I say I speak a little Chinese?
You can say 我会说一点儿中文。(Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén.) This means I can speak a little Chinese, and it is a polite, common phrase for beginners.