Place Names in Chinese

How world cities and capitals are written and pronounced in Chinese. Covers 168 national capitals and 370 major cities.

Search 170,000+ place names →

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Search all 170,000+ place names →

Or browse English names in Chinese →

Frequently Asked Questions

How are foreign place names written in Chinese?

Foreign place names are phonetically transliterated into Chinese characters following standardized tables published by China's State Press and Publication Administration and the Xinhua News Agency. Characters are chosen to approximate the original pronunciation while using a fixed set of approved sound-to-character mappings.

Why does the same city sometimes have different Chinese names?

Some cities have historical Chinese names that differ from modern phonetic transliterations — London is 伦敦 (Lúndūn) from the phonetic, while some older texts used different characters. Taiwan and mainland China occasionally use slightly different forms. This database follows mainland Chinese standard usage.

What do ★ stars indicate?

★ marks national capitals — cities that serve as the seat of national government for their country.