支那

Chinese

phonetic
simp. and trad.
(支那)

Etymology

From Sanskrit चीन (cīna), which in turn is likely from Chinese (OC *zin).

Pronunciation


Proper noun

支那

  1. (obsolete, now usually derogatory) China

Derived terms


Japanese

Kanji in this term

Grade: 5

Grade: S
on’yomi

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 支那 (t͡ɕie̞ nɑ), a phonetic transcription of Sanskrit चीन (cīna), itself likely deriving from Old Chinese (*dzin), the name of the Qin Dynasty and the Qin state.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

支那 (hiragana しな, katakana シナ, rōmaji Shina)

  1. (prewar, often considered derogatory in modern speech) China

Usage notes

The kanji spelling 支那 was more common historically, and is still encountered with some frequency when this word is used. Modern usage includes シナ in katakana. However, this term as a whole is used less frequently than in the past, due in part to changes in geopolitics.

Derived terms

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