(huá shèng dùn) - Washington (city and surname) in Mandarin
huáshèngdùnTraditional: 華盛頓
Translation
Washington (city and surname)
Word origin
A phonetic transliteration of the English name Washington, using 华 (huá), 盛 (shèng) and 顿 (dùn) for their sound.
- Origin
- transliteration
- Root
- English Washington
Stroke order
华
盛
顿
Examples
。
Washington is the capital of the United States.
。
We fly to Washington tomorrow.
。
He worked in Washington for two years.
冬。
Winters in Washington are cold.
。
This news comes from Washington.
华盛顿 (huá shèng dùn) covers both the American capital and the surname, exactly as English does. Context separates them: 华盛顿总统 is the first president, 去华盛顿 is the city.
The characters are chosen for sound, though the choice is flattering by accident, since 华 and 盛 both carry ideas of splendour. That is common in older transliterations of place names, where translators picked handsome characters when the sound allowed it.
One practical note. The full name of the capital is 华盛顿特区, Washington DC, with 特区 standing for the District. The state on the other coast is 华盛顿州, and Chinese speakers add 州 to keep the two apart just as English speakers say Washington State.
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华盛顿: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "华盛顿" (Washington (city and surname)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 47.