大陆

dà lù

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1. mainland China (reference to the PRC)
2. continent; mainland

Word relationships

Counterparts

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• 台湾 tái wān 台湾 tái wān Taiwan Taiwan, often used in the pair 大陆 vs 台湾 to discuss cross-strait relations: Taiwan

Register variants

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• 内地 nèi dì 内地 nèi dì mainland China (PRC excluding Hong Kong and Macau, but including islands such as Hainan) Used in Hong Kong or Macau to refer to mainland China, slightly more neutral or informal than 大陆 in some contexts: mainland China (PRC excluding Hong Kong and Macau, but including islands such as Hainan)

Related words

2 items

• 中国 zhōng guó 中国 zhōng guó China Commonly used to refer to China, though 大陆 specifically contrasts with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau: China
• 洲 zhōu 洲 zhōu continent Continent (as in 亚洲, 非洲), but 大陆 means continent in a geographical sense: continent

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't use 大陆 to refer to continents in general geographic contexts unless it's clear; use 洲 instead (e.g., 亚洲 for Asia). 大陆 can mean 'continent' in phrases like 南美大陆.

Formality

大陆 is the standard formal and neutral term for mainland China. 内地 is preferred in Hong Kong/Macau contexts, and 中国大陆 is used when clarity is needed.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他来自中国 大陆 。

He comes from mainland China.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 大陆

• 亚欧大陆 亚欧大陆 yà ōu dà lù: Eurasian continent
• 亚欧大陆桥 亚欧大陆桥 yà ōu dà lù qiáo: Eurasian land bridge (rail line linking China and Europe)
• 亚欧大陆腹地 亚欧大陆腹地 yà ōu dà lù fù dì: Eurasian hinterland (i.e. Central Asia including Xinjiang)
• 大陆坡 大陆坡 dà lù pō: continental slope (boundary of continental shelf)
• 大陆块 大陆块 dà lù kuài: continental plates (geology)
• 大陆妹 大陆妹 dà lù mèi: (in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macao) girl from the mainland
• 大陆客 大陆客 dà lù kè: illegal immigrant from mainland China
• 大陆性 大陆性 dà lù xìng: continental
• 大陆性气候 大陆性气候 dà lù xìng qì hòu: continental climate
• 大陆架 大陆架 dà lù jià: continental shelf
• 大陆漂移 大陆漂移 dà lù piāo yí: continental drift
• 新大陆 新大陆 xīn dà lù: the New World
• 次大陆 次大陆 cì dà lù: subcontinent (e.g. the Indian subcontinent)
• 欧亚大陆 欧亚大陆 ōu yà dà lù: Eurasia
• 欧洲大陆 欧洲大陆 ōu zhōu dà lù: continent of Europe
• 泛大陆 泛大陆 fàn dà lù: Pangea (geology)
• 美洲大陆 美洲大陆 měi zhōu dà lù: the Americas
• 联合古大陆 联合古大陆 lián hé gǔ dà lù: Pangea or Pangaea
• 旧大陆 旧大陆 jiù dà lù: Eurasia as opposed to the New World 新大陸|新大陆[xīn dà lù] or the Americas
• 驻大陆 驻大陆 zhù dà lù: stationed on the continent (i.e. PRC)

Child Words of 大陆

• 大 大 dà: big; large; great
• 大 大 dài: see 大夫[dài fu]
• 陆 陆 liù: six (banker's anti-fraud numeral)
• 陆 陆 lù: (bound form) land (as opposed to the sea)