Few posts ago, I asked “Why is America called美国 (Měi Guó)?” Just in case you already forgot, 美国 (Měi Guó) translates to beautiful country.
美(Měi): beautiful
国(Guó): state
Well, it could just be because the Chinese people think that America is beautiful. No matter how the Sino-US relations maybe, I have generally found a fondness for America among the Chinese people. I don’t really know why America was named 美国 (Měi Guó), but I think the explanation given by a friend of mine is worth sharing.
美(Měi) from 美国 (Měi Guó) sounds very similar to the second syllable in America. And since 美 (Měi) has a good meaning as well, the Chinese people decided to name America as 美国 (Měi Guó). And she gave me few other examples too, which really convinced me:
德国(Dé Guó): Deutschland (Germany)
德(Dé): virtue, morals
英国(Yīng Guó): England
英(Yīng): brave
法国(Fǎ Guó): France
法(Fǎ): law
