中华民族 ZhōnghuáMínzú the Chinese nation
the Chinese nation; the Chinese people (collective reference to all the ethnic groups in China)
How to remember 中华民族: 中 middle + 华 flowery + 民 citizens + 族 clan = the Chinese nation.
Characters
How it is used
- Formal, collective term for the Chinese nation, covering all 56 ethnic groups, not just Han Chinese.
- Used in political speeches, history textbooks, and patriotic media - not casual chat.
- Common set phrases: 中华民族的伟大复兴 (Zhōnghuá Mínzú de wěidà fùxīng) - the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, 中华民族优秀传统文化 - the fine traditional culture of the Chinese nation.
- Contrast 中国人 (Zhōngguórén), the everyday word for a Chinese person or people, with this grander, nation-as-a-whole term.