斯普拉特利群岛

Traditional form:

斯普拉特利群島

Pinyin (reading):

Sīpǔlātèlì Qúndǎo

Definitions:

• Spratly Islands, disputed between China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam
• same as 南沙群島／南沙群岛 ( Nānshā Qúndǎo)

Characters:

• 斯 - this, thus, such; emphatic particle; used in transliterations
• 普 - widespread, universal, general
• 拉 - to pull, to drag; to seize, to hold; to lengthen; to play (a violin)
• 特 - special, unique, distinguished
• 利 - gains, advantage, profit, merit
• 群 - group, crowd; multitude, mob
• 岛 - island

Traditional characters:

• 斯 - this, thus, such; emphatic particle; used in transliterations
• 普 - widespread, universal, general
• 拉 - to pull, to drag; to seize, to hold; to lengthen; to play (a violin)
• 特 - special, unique, distinguished
• 利 - gains, advantage, profit, merit
• 群 - group, crowd; multitude, mob
• 島 - island