米国(べいこく)

A formal abbreviation of 亜米利加合衆国(あめりかがっしゅうこく) (United States of America). The kanji 米(べい) was chosen as a phonetic representation of the first syllable of "America" (メ). Standard in news, politics, and formal writing.

Usage

Used primarily in news media, official documents, and formal writing. In everyday conversation, アメリカ is far more common. The 米(べい) prefix appears in many compounds.

Common collocations

• 米国(べいこく)大統領(だいとうりょう) — U.S. president
• 米国(べいこく)政府(せいふ) — U.S. government
• 日米(にちべい)関係(かんけい) — Japan-U.S. relations
• 在米(ざいべい) — residing in America
• 訪米(ほうべい) — a visit to America

Similar words

• アメリカ — America; the everyday word used in casual and neutral contexts
• 合衆国(がっしゅうこく) — the United States; an abbreviation of the full formal name, less common than 米国(べいこく)