wén míng
civilisation; culture; civilised
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中国有五千年的文明历史。
Zhōngguó yǒu wǔqiān nián de wénmíng lìshǐ.
China has a five-thousand-year history of civilization.
我们要继承和发扬中华民族的优秀文明。
Wǒmen yào jìchéng hé fāyáng Zhōnghuá mínzú de yōuxiù wénmíng.
We should inherit and carry forward the excellent civilization of the Chinese nation.
文明是人类进步的标志。
Wénmíng shì rénlèi jìnbù de biāozhì.
Civilization is a sign of human progress.
文化 (wénhuà)
culture
礼仪 (lǐyí)
etiquette
野蛮 (yěmán)
barbaric
落后 (luòhòu)
backward
The Chinese word 文明 (wénmíng) for "civilization" is a compound of two characters: 文 (wén) and 明 (míng). The character 文 originally meant "pattern" or "design", and later came to mean "culture" or "literature". The character 明 originally meant "bright" or "clear", and later came to mean "enlightened" or "civilized". Thus, the compound 文明 (wénmíng) literally means "cultured and enlightened", and is used to refer to a society that has achieved a high level of cultural and technological development.The word 文明 (wénmíng) first appeared in the Chinese language during the Warring States period (475-221 BC), and was used to refer to the advanced cultures of the Central Plains region of China. Over time, the word came to be used more broadly to refer to any society that had achieved a high level of cultural and technological development.The word 文明 (wénmíng) is also used in a broader sense to refer to the process of cultural and technological development. In this sense, 文明 (wénmíng) is seen as a progressive force that leads to the improvement of human society.
