Chinese Word
Archive
← Today's word Archive
noun HSK 4
shǒu dū
capital city · capital

Meaning

首都 refers to the capital city of a country or nation, the primary administrative center where the central government is located. It is a formal, standard term used in geography, politics, and general discussion about countries and their governmental seats.

Usage

This is the standard term for national capitals in formal and informal contexts. When discussing a country, you would say '中国的首都是北京' (China's capital is Beijing). It's not used for provincial or regional capitals—those use 省会 (shěng huì) instead. The term carries a neutral, factual tone.

Examples

  1. 01
    北京是中国的首都。
    Běijīng shì Zhōngguó de shǒu dū.
    Beijing is the capital of China.
  2. 02
    你知道法国的首都在哪里吗？
    Nǐ zhīdào Fǎguó de shǒu dū zài nǎlǐ ma?
    Do you know where the capital of France is?

Characters

Measure words

  • 个gè一个首都

Common collocations

  • 首都机场
    shǒu dū jī chǎng
    capital airport (Beijing Capital Airport)
  • ...的首都
    ... de shǒu dū
    the capital of ...
  • 迁都
    qiān dū
    to relocate the capital

Origin

首 originally means 'head' and 都 means 'major city' or 'capital.' Together they literally mean 'the head city,' reflecting the capital's status as the primary city of a nation.

Related