Beijing

/ˌbeɪˈdʒɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The capital city of China, located in northern China and one of the world's most populous urban areas.

Etymology

From Chinese 'Běijīng' meaning 'northern capital' (北京), from 'běi' (north) and 'jīng' (capital). Renamed from Peking in 1949 to reflect standard Mandarin pronunciation rather than local dialect.

Kelly Says

Beijing's name literally means 'northern capital' to distinguish it from Nanjing ('southern capital'), reflecting China's historical practice of naming cities by their geographic and political relationships. The city has been continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.