倭 (wō) - Wa — ancient Chinese term for Japan and & dwarf

倭Tone 1

wō ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

倭 · wō

Wa — ancient Chinese term for Japan and Japanese people;

dwarf;

used historically to refer to Japan and its people, now considered archaic and sometimes derogatory.

Wa — ancient Chinese term for Japan anddwarfused historically to refer to Japan and its

Usage highlights

Ancient JapanJapanese peopleJapanese piratesJapanese swordWo kingdomJapanese dwarf

Synonyms

  • 日本— Japan (modern term)
  • 和— Japanese (as in 和服 - kimono)

Antonyms

  • 华— Chinese (as in 华夏)
  • 夏— Chinese (as in 华夏)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Ancient Chinese texts referred to Japan as Wa (倭国).
  • The Wo people were mentioned in historical records (倭人).
  • Some Japanese pirates were called Wokou (倭寇).
  • The term appears in classical Chinese literature (倭刀 - Japanese sword).

Collocations

  • Ancient Japan(倭国)
  • Japanese people(倭人)
  • Japanese pirates(倭寇)
  • Japanese sword(倭刀)
  • Wo kingdom(倭国)
  • Japanese dwarf(倭矮)

Idioms

  • Japanese pirate invasion(倭寇入侵)
  • Wo kingdom tribute(倭国朝贡)
  • Japanese sword technique(倭刀术)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally used in ancient Chinese texts to refer to Japan and its people during the Han to Tang dynasties.
  • The character was later replaced by 和 and 日本 in Japanese self-reference.
  • Considered archaic and potentially offensive in modern contexts due to historical usage.
  • Appears in historical contexts describing early Sino-Japanese relations.

FAQ