Kilo Lingo

(yīng wén) - English, the English language in Mandarin

yīngwén

Traditional: 英文

Line drawing of 英文
Coloured illustration of 英文
#3708 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

English, the English language

Stroke order

Stroke order for 英

Stroke order for 文

Examples

Can you speak English?

fēng

This letter is written in English.

His English name is Tom.

I am learning English.

bǎn

This website has an English version.

英文 (yīngwén) is English, the language, and sits alongside 英语 (yīngyǔ) as one of two everyday words for the same thing. 英 (yīng) is the short form of 英国 (Yīngguó), Britain, and 文 (wén) means "writing, script, culture", so 英文 leans slightly towards the written and cultural side of the language.

In practice the two words overlap heavily: 学英文 (xué Yīngwén) and 学英语 (xué Yīngyǔ) both mean "to study English" and either is understood everywhere. 英文名字 (Yīngwén míngzi), an "English name", is the fixed phrase for the Western first name many Chinese speakers adopt for international use, and here only 英文, never 英语, is idiomatic.

Do not confuse 英文 (Yīngwén) with 英国 (Yīngguó): the first is the language, the second is the country, and swapping them is a very common learner error because both start with the same 英 (yīng) syllable.

Where this fits

Used in

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Mandarin · Free printables

英文: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "英文" (English, the English language): 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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This word is part of lesson 75.