贵国 (guì guó) — your country (formal, respectful)

Definition

贵国 (guì guó) is the formal, respectful way to say 'your country' when addressing a foreign head of state or representative, as in diplomatic contexts. The character 贵 elevates the listener; the speaker would say 我国 for their own country.

idiom

your country (formal, respectful)

Examples

贵国。
Gǎn xiè guì guó duì běn cì huì yì de zhī chí.
Thank your country for supporting this meeting.
贵国。
Wǒ men qī dài yǔ guì guó jìn yí bù jiā qiáng hé zuò.
We look forward to further strengthening cooperation with your country.
贵国。
guì guó De jīng jì fā zhǎn lìng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè.
Your country's economic development is impressive.

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.

贵guìesteemed

国guócountry

贵 'esteemed' describes 国 'country', a respectful way to say your country.

Characters in this word

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèimoney cowrie

Sound part声符shēngfú

臾

臾yú貴guì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

囗或國

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéiclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

或

或huò國guó

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →