秦

Mandarin · pinyin Qín

Meanings

  1. surname Qin
  2. Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) of the first emperor 秦始皇 Qín Shǐ huáng
  3. short name for 陝西 Shǎn xī
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秦
qín · feudal state of Qin; the Qin dynasty (from which the name 'China' comes)
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Mandarin tones

2 · Qin2

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 12 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ceon4

Cantonese word readings for 秦. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

  1. (obsolete) grain; a specific variety of grain; to pound grain
  2. (historical) Qin (an ancient fief and city, the origin of the state)
  3. (historical) (~國) State of Qin (in ancient China, rising to power in the Warring States period)
  4. (historical) (~朝) Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), the first imperial dynasty of unified China
  5. (historical, by extension) China (an exonym used by the Xiongnu, in the Western Regions, and in ancient India/Rome)
  6. Shaanxi province (an abbreviation derived from the ancient state's location)
  7. (historical) Name of several dynasties or states in Chinese history (Sixteen Kingdoms period, etc.) — Former Qin (351–394)
  8. (historical) Name of several dynasties or states in Chinese history (Sixteen Kingdoms period, etc.) — Later Qin (384–417)
  9. (historical) Name of several dynasties or states in Chinese history (Sixteen Kingdoms period, etc.) — Western Qin (385–431)
  10. (historical, rare) Name of an ancient township in the State of Lu (modern-day Fan County, Henan)
  11. (literary, botany) A specific fragrant herb (often cited as 秦衡)
  12. a surname

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

秦 · Qin2
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 81,499
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record秦 秦 [Qin2] /surname Qin/Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) of the first emperor 秦始皇[Qin2 Shi3 huang2]/short name for 陝西|陕西[Shan3 xi1]/