英文

The Chinese word 英文 (yīngwén) for "English" is a compound of two characters: 英 (yīng) and 文 (wén). The character 英 (yīng) originally meant "flower" or "blossom", but in modern Chinese it is used to refer to England or Britain. The character 文 (wén) means "writing" or "culture". So, the word 英文 (yīngwén) literally means "English writing" or "English culture".The word 英文 (yīngwén) was first used in the late 19th century, when China was beginning to modernize and Westernize. At that time, many Chinese students were going to England to study, and they brought back with them new ideas and new words. The word 英文 (yīngwén) was one of these new words.Today, the word 英文 (yīngwén) is used all over China to refer to the English language and English culture. It is also used to refer to English-speaking countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.