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南韩 (Nán hán) — South Korea (Republic of Korea, used particularly to contrast with North Korea)

Definition

南韩 (Nán Hán) is the term mainland China and Chinese state media typically use for South Korea. In everyday speech and in Korea, people more often say 韩国 — 朝鲜 is used for North Korea.

noun
South Korea (Republic of Korea, used particularly to contrast with North Korea)

Examples

  • 南韩。
    Nán hán Hé běi hán zhī jiān de guān xì jìn nián lái yǒu suǒ gǎi shàn.
    Relations between South Korea and North Korea have improved in recent years.
  • 南韩。
    Xǔ duō zhōng guó yóu kè xǐ huan qù Nán hán lǚ xíng.
    Many Chinese tourists like to travel to South Korea.
  • 南韩。
    Nán hán De diàn yǐng hé yīn yuè zài yà zhōu hěn shòu huān yíng.
    South Korean movies and music are very popular in Asia.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

南nánsouth
韩hánKorea

南 points south and 韩 refers to Korea, forming South Korea.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 韓; 韩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
韋韋wéisurround
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn韓Hán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 韓 pairs 倝, a sound part, with 韋, a part meaning 'surround'; the simplified 韩 is a later shorthand.

Open 韩 →
Appears in
International & Diplomacy

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