中南海

Chinese

		middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing something); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	south	ocean; sea
simp. and trad. (中南海)		中	南	海

Etymology

Short for 中海 (zhōnghǎi) + 南海 (Nánhǎi), both are names of lakes in Beijing.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Zhōngnánhǎi

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄏㄞˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zung¹ naam⁴ hoi²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): Tiong-lâm-hái

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōngnánhǎi
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄏㄞˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongnánhǎi
    • Wade–Giles: Chung¹-nan²-hai³
    • Yale: Jūng-nán-hǎi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jongnanhae
    • Palladius: Чжуннаньхай (Čžunnanʹxaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ nän³⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zung¹ naam⁴ hoi²
    • Yale: jūng nàahm hói
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzung¹ naam⁴ hoi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: zung¹ nam⁴ hoi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ naːm²¹ hɔːi̯³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiong-lâm-hái
    • Tâi-lô: Tiong-lâm-hái
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dionglamhae
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² lam²⁴⁻²² hai⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tiɔŋ³³ lam²⁴⁻²² hai⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² lam¹³⁻²² hai⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²⁴⁻¹¹ hai⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²³⁻³³ hai⁴¹/

Proper noun

中南海

1. Zhongnanhai, a complex of buildings in Xicheng district, Beijing, China, adjacent to Tiananmen Square, which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the government of the People's Republic of China
2. (metonymically, politics) The central headquarters for the Communist Party of China
3. (metonymically, politics) the government of the People's Republic of China

Derived terms

• 政令不出中南海 (zhènglìng bù chū Zhōngnánhǎi)

Descendants

• → English: Chung-nan-hai, Zhongnanhai, Zhong Nan Hai