国

See also: 國 and 囯

国	U+56FD, 国 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-56FD

← 囼
[U+56FC]

CJK Unified Ideographs

图 →
[U+56FE]

Translingual

Japanese	国
Simplified	国
Traditional	國

Stroke order (Mainland China)

Stroke order (Chinese)

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

国 (Kangxi radical 31, 囗+5, 8 strokes, Cangjie input 田一土戈 (WMGI), four-corner 6010₃, composition ⿴囗玉)

Derived characters

啯, 帼, 掴, 椢, 蝈
腘 (Exception: Only for mainland China character. Taiwan character contains 囯 with 王 instead)

Additional Derived Characters

𱖺, 𱝞, 𮲇, 𬇹, 𱴏, 𬧩, 𫭔, 𬜿, 𫂆, 𠏹

Related characters

國 (Orthodox traditional form)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 218, character 4
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4752
Dae Jaweon: page 446, character 7
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 716, character 7
Unihan data for U+56FD

Chinese

Glyph origin

Simplified from 國 (或 → 玉). Also compare 囯, an unorthodox variant of 國 that contains 王 (“king”) instead of 玉 (“jade”).

Definitions

For pronunciation and definitions of 国 – see 國 (“country; nation; nation-state; kingdom; capital; etc.”). (This character is the simplified and variant form of 國).
Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Japanese

Shinjitai	国
Kyūjitai	國

Kanji

国

(Second grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 國)

Readings

Go-on: こく (koku, Jōyō)
Kan-on: こく (koku, Jōyō)
Kun: くに (kuni, 国, Jōyō)
Nanori: くな (kuna)、こ (ko)、こう (kō)

Compounds

国(こく)威(い) (kokui)
国(こく)運(うん) (kokuun)
国(こく)益(えき) (kokueki)
国(こく)王(おう) (kokuō)
国(こっ)家(か) (kokka)
国(こっ)歌(か) (kokka)
国(こっ)花(か) (kokka)
国(こっ)会(かい) (kokkai)
国(こく)外(がい) (kokugai)
国(こっ)旗(き) (kokki)
国(こく)技(ぎ) (kokugi)
国(こっ)境(きょう) (kokkyō)
国(こっ)教(きょう) (kokkyō)
国(こく)軍(ぐん) (kokugun)
国(くに)見(み) (kunimi)
国(くに)言(こと)葉(ば) (kunikotoba)
国(こっ)庫(こ) (kokko)
国(こく)語(ご) (kokugo)
国(くに)構(がま)え (kunigamae)
国(こく)号(ごう) (kokugō)
国(こく)債(さい) (kokusai)
国(こく)際(さい) (kokusai)
国(こく)策(さく) (kokusaku)
国(こく)産(さん) (kokusan)
国(こく)史(し) (kokushi)
国(こく)士(し) (kokushi)
国(こく)師(し) (kokushi)
国(こく)事(じ) (kokuji)
国(こく)字(じ) (kokuji)
国(こく)璽(じ) (kokuji)
国(こく)主(しゅ) (kokushu)
国(こく)情(じょう) (kokujō)
国(こく)辱(じょく) (kokujoku)
国(くに)人(うど) (kuniudo)
国(くに)人(びと) (kunibito)
国(こく)人(じん) (kokujin)
国(こく)粋(すい) (kokusui)
国(こく)是(ぜ) (kokuze)
国(こく)勢(せい) (kokusei)
国(こく)政(せい) (kokusei)
国(こく)税(ぜい) (kokuzei)
国(こく)籍(せき) (kokuseki)
国(こく)葬(そう) (kokusō)
国(こく)造(ぞう) (kokuzō)
国(くに)造(ずく)り (kunizukuri)
国(こく)俗(ぞく) (kokuzoku)
国(こく)賊(ぞく) (kokuzoku)
国(こく)体(たい) (kokutai)
国(こく)定(てい) (kokutei)
- 国(こく)定(てい)教(きょう)科(か)書(しょ) (kokutei kyōkasho)
- 国(こく)定(てい)公(こう)園(えん) (kokutei kōen)
国(こく)土(ど) (kokudo)
国(こく)道(どう) (kokudō)
国(こく)内(ない) (kokunai)
国(こく)難(なん) (kokunan)
国(こく)費(ひ) (kokuhi)
国(こく)賓(ひん) (kokuhin)
国(こく)府(ふ) (kokufu)
国(くに)風(ぶり) (kuniburi)
国(こく)風(ふう) (kokufū)
国(くに)柄(がら) (kunigara)
国(こく)柄(へい) (kokuhei)
国(こく)宝(ほう) (kokuhō)
国(こく)法(ほう) (kokuhō)
国(こく)防(ぼう) (kokubō)
国(こく)民(みん) (kokumin)
国(こく)務(む) (kokumu)
国(こく)名(めい) (kokumei)
国(こく)有(ゆう) (kokuyū)
国(こく)立(りつ) (kokuritsu)
国(こく)力(りょく) (kokuryoku)
国(こく)連(れん) (Kokuren)
日(に)本(ほん)国(こく) (Nihon-koku)
生(しょう)国(ごく) (shōgoku)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
国
くに Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
國 (kyūjitai) 邦 (uncommon)

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Kojiki of 712,^[1] the Nihon Shoki completed in 720, and the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759.^[2] Perhaps related to Middle Chinese 郡 (MC gjunH, “geographic region: commandery, prefecture”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ɲ̟i]
Audio: (file)
(Tokyo) くに [kùní] (Heiban – [0])^[3]^[4]^[5]
(Tokyo) くに [kùníꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[5] esp. when preceded by any premodifier

Noun

国(くに) • (kuni)

a land, a large place
a country in general, a region
a country as in a nation, a state
- 1998 November 30 [1990 November 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, のび太(た)とアニマル惑星(プラネット) [Nobita and the Animal Planet] (大長編ドラえもん; 10), 22nd edition, volume 10 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 27:
  
  ねえねえ、今(いま)の地(ち)図(ず)みた⁉
  Nē nē, ima no chizu mita⁉
  Hey, did you see that map!?
  みた！いったいここはなんという国(くに)だろう。
  Mita! Ittai koko wa nan to iu kuni darō.
  I did! I wonder what country this is.
  クニ？クニってなあに。
  Kuni? Kuni tte nāni.
  Country? What’s a country?
  アメリカとか中(ちゅう)国(ごく)とかいろいろあるじゃない。
  Amerika toka Chūgoku toka iroiro aru ja nai.
  You know, countries. There are a bunch of them like America and China.
  ぼくらは日(にっ)本(ぽん)からきたんだけど…。
  Bokura wa Nippon kara kita n da kedo….
  We’re from Japan, by the way...
  ニッポン？きいたことない。
  Nippon? Kiita koto nai.
  Japan? I’ve never heard of that before.
the office of emperor, the crown; affairs of state
a province of ancient Japan
the national government in ancient Japan; the national capital in ancient Japan
one's birthplace, where one is from, one's home
- 1994 January 20 [1988 December 17], Akira Oze, “第８話　酒蔵の子 [Child of the Brewery]”, in 夏子の酒 [Natsuko’s Saké], 14th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tōkyō: Kōdansha, →ISBN, page 183:
  
  ううん……もう来(こ)ないと思(おも)う　たぶん
  Ūn……mō konai to omou tabun
  No... I don’t think I’ll be coming back any time soon.
  
  どうして？
  Dō shite?
  How come?
  
  故郷(クニ)にね……帰(かえ)るの
  Kuni ni ne…… kaeru no
  I’m moving back home.

Synonyms

(a land): 大(だい)地(ち) (daichi), 土(と)地(ち) (tochi), 陸(りく)地(ち) (rikuchi)
(nation): 国(こっ)家(か) (kokka), 国(こく)土(ど) (kokudo)
(ancient national government): 国(こく)府(ふ) (kokufu)
(birthplace): 出(しゅっ)生(しょう)地(ち) (shusshōchi), 生(しょう)国(ごく) (shōgoku), 故郷(ふるさと) (furusato), 故(こ)郷(きょう) (kokyō)

Derived terms

陸(くが) (kuga, “part of a land”)

Descendants

→ Northern Ryukyuan:
- → Kunigami: 国 (khunī)
- → Northern Amami Ōshima: 国 (kuni)
- → Okinawan: 国 (kuni)
- → Southern Amami Ōshima: 国 (kunī)
- → Tokunoshima: 国 (kunī)
- → Yoron: 国 (kuni)
→ Southern Ryukyuan:
- → Miyako: 国 (kuni)
- → Yaeyama: 国 (fun, kuni)
- → Yonaguni: 国 (kuni)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
国
こく Grade: 2
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
國 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 國 (MC kwok, “country, nation”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ko̞kɯ̟]

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

Noun

国(こく) • (koku)

a land, a large place
a country in general, a region
a country as in a nation, a state

Usage notes

Most often found in compounds.

References

^ “国・邦”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2019), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (2016), NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 [New NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2012), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), Second edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN; released digitally in 2021 via Monokakidō with new and expanded entries^[2]

“国”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja

国 (eumhun 나라 국 (nara guk))

alternative form of 國 (“hanja form^? of 국 (“country; state; nation; land”)”)

References

Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo), page 5. [4]

Vietnamese

Han character

国: Hán Việt readings: quốc^[1]^[2]
国: Nôm readings: quốc^[1]

alternative form of 國 (“chữ Hán form of quốc (“(only in compounds) nation; state; country”)”)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
^ Trần (2004).

[1] “国・邦”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[KDJ-2] Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR4-3] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2019), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK16-4] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (2016), NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 [New NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[DJS2-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2012), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), Second edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN; released digitally in 2021 via Monokakidō with new and expanded entries^[2]

[tdcntd-6] 1.0 ^1.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).

[gdhn-7] Trần (2004).

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