Chinese

Noun

漢語

1. the Chinese language

   你會說漢語嗎？ / 你会说汉语吗？  ―  Nǐ huì shuō Hànyǔ ma?  ―  Can you speak Chinese?

Synonyms

• 中文 (zhōngwén)
• (uncommon) 中國話／中国话 (zhōngguóhuà)

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology

From Sinitic 漢語.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) かんご [kàńgó] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [kã̠ŋɡ̃o̞]

Noun

漢語 ‎(hiragana かんご, romaji kango)

1. A kango: a Japanese word of Chinese origin, or a Japanese word coined along Chinese lines (a Sino-Japanese word) (such as 社会 or 共和国).

   Kango are written in kanji, and read with the on'yomi (音読み). Contrast with wago (和語).

2. The ancient Chinese language, the language of the Han (漢) ethnicity.
3. (less commonly) The Chinese language.

See also

• 音読 (おんよ)み ‎(on'yomi)
• 和語 (わご) ‎(wago)

References

1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9