帝国
dìguó · HSK 7
empire
👑🏯 帝 emperor + 国 country = the emperors country, an empire
帝 (dì) means emperor or sovereign, 国 (guó) means country or nation. Together they literally form emperor-country — a realm ruled by an emperor, i.e. an empire.
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.