支那 (Zhī nà) — (historical, now derogatory) China (Buddhist transcription and pre-modern term, now a pejorative)

Definition

A historical and Buddhist-era name for China, now considered a derogatory slur and not used in modern Chinese. Learners should recognize it when reading historical texts but never use it to refer to China today.

noun
(historical, now derogatory) China (Buddhist transcription and pre-modern term, now a pejorative)

Examples

  • ，支那。
    Zài táng dài fó jīng zhōng, Zhī nà yì cí cháng yòng lái zhǐ dài zhōng guó.
    In Tang Dynasty Buddhist scriptures, the word 'Zhina' was often used to refer to China.
  • ，支那。
    Yīn wèi dài yǒu biǎn yì, xiàn zài méi yǒu rén yòng Zhī nà lái chēng hu zhōng guó.
    Because it carries a derogatory meaning, no one uses 'Zhina' to refer to China nowadays.
  • ，支那。
    Lì shǐ xué zhě zhǐ chū, Zhī nà yì cí zài jìn dài bèi fù yǔ le wǔ rǔ xìng hán yì.
    Historians point out that the term 'Zhina' acquired offensive connotations in modern times.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
邑邑yìcity
Sound part声符shēngfú
冄
冉rǎn那nà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The right part 邑 shows a city, and the left part 冄 (written 冉) gives the sound. The character first named a state and was later used to mean 'that'.

Open 那 →

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