(quán guó) - the whole country, nationwide in Mandarin
quánguóTraditional: 全國
Translation
the whole country, nationwide
Word origin
A compound of 全 (quán, whole, complete) and 国 (guó, country), whose traditional form 國 shows a border 囗 enclosing 或.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 全 (quán, whole) + 国 (guó, country)
Stroke order
全
国
Examples
遍。
The news spread across the whole country.
。
He is the fastest runner in the country.
。
Schools nationwide are on holiday tomorrow.
百。
This shop has three hundred branches nationwide.
。
People all over the country are watching this match.
全国 (quán guó) means the entire country taken as one unit. It attaches to almost anything with 的 or directly, giving 全国人民 the people of the whole country, 全国第一 first in the country, 全国范围 nationwide in scope. In news writing it is everywhere.
It sits in a productive family with the same 全: 全世界 the whole world, 全校 the whole school, 全家 the whole family, 全班 the whole class. Learn the pattern once and a dozen words come free.
The trap is which country. 全国 always means the speaker's own country, and in Chinese-language media that means China unless something says otherwise. If you mean the whole of Britain you must say 全英国; saying 全国 in a Chinese conversation and meaning the UK will be misheard every time.
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全国: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "全国" (the whole country, nationwide): 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 52.