Meaning
国籍 refers to a person's legal membership in a particular nation-state. It indicates which country someone is a citizen of and determines their rights, protections, and obligations under that country's laws. This is a formal, legal term commonly used in official documents, immigration forms, and discussions about citizenship status.
Usage
This is a formal, administrative term most often encountered in official contexts like passport applications, immigration forms, and legal documents. When asking about someone's nationality in casual conversation, Chinese speakers might also use 你是哪国人？(Which country are you from?) rather than directly asking about 国籍.
Examples
- 01请在表格上填写您的国籍。.Please fill in your nationality on the form.
- 02他拥有美国和加拿大双重国籍。.He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
Characters
Measure words
- 个有两个国籍
Common collocations
- 双重国籍dual citizenship
- 加入国籍to acquire citizenship
- 放弃国籍to renounce citizenship
- 中国国籍Chinese nationality
Origin
The character 籍 originally referred to official registers or records. Combined with 国 (country), 国籍 literally means 'country registration' or being on the official records of a nation, which naturally evolved to mean citizenship or nationality.