india
india — 名詞
1. a large nation in southern Asia, home to many languages, religions, and cultural
印度
南亞大國，首都新德里
a large nation in southern Asia, home to many languages, religions, and cultural traditions; the world’s most populous democracy, with New Delhi as its capital city
Vikram’s family moved to India from Singapore last year.
Vikram 一家去年從新加坡搬到印度。
move to + country name
The tea grown in northern India is exported to Europe and North America.
印度北部種植的茶葉出口到歐洲和北美。
passive: be grown / be exported from [region] + country
Yara dreams of visiting India to see the Taj Mahal one day.
Yara 夢想有一天去印度看泰姬瑪哈陵。
Jabari read a book about the history of India and its independence movement.
Jabari 讀了一本關於印度歷史及其獨立運動的書。
Many international companies now have offices in India because of its large skilled workforce.
許多國際公司現在在印度設有辦公室，因為這裡有大量受過訓練的勞動力。
- the Republic of India
formal name used in official documents and diplomacy
- Bharat
official Hindi name of the country, used in Indian government contexts and increasingly in international settings
文法句型
[country name] used with singular verb
用法筆記
Always capitalised as a proper noun. Use the definite article only when referring to the historical period or region ('the India of the 19th century'), not for the modern country.
常見錯誤
❖ 'I am from India country.' ✅ 'I am from India.' — do not add 'country' after the name; 'India' already refers to the nation.
❖ 'India’s people are very kind.' ✅ 'The people of India are very kind.' or 'Indian people are very kind.' — 'India’s people' is grammatically possible but less natural; use 'the people of India' or 'Indian people' instead.
2. the large area of land in southern Asia that lies south of the Himalayan mountai
印度次大陸
包含印度等國的南亞地理區域
the large area of land in southern Asia that lies south of the Himalayan mountains and includes the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and sometimes Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives
The monsoon season affects the entire Indian subcontinent from June to September.
從六月到九月，季風季節影響整個印度次大陸。
collocation: [the] Indian subcontinent with definite article
Eleni’s research focuses on ancient trade routes across the Indian subcontinent.
Eleni 的研究聚焦於橫跨印度次大陸的古代貿易路線。
The Indian subcontinent is home to over 1.8 billion people, making it one of the most densely populated regions on earth.
印度次大陸擁有超過十八億人口，是世界上人口最稠密的地區之一。
Sari studied how the monsoon winds shape farming patterns across the Indian subcontinent.
Sari 研究了季風如何影響整個印度次大陸的農業型態。
- the Indian subcontinent
more precise term that avoids confusion with the modern nation
- South Asia
broader modern term that also includes Afghanistan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka
- the subcontinent
shorter form, common in informal or academic contexts when the meaning is clear
文法句型
often preceded by 'the'
用法筆記
When referring to the geographical region, ‘India’ can mean the subcontinent rather than just the modern country. In academic or historical contexts, ‘India’ still carries this broader meaning. Use ‘the Indian subcontinent’ or ‘South Asia’ to avoid ambiguity with the modern nation.
常見錯誤
❖ 'India is a very large region with many countries.' ✅ 'The Indian subcontinent is a very large region with many countries.' — using ‘India’ to mean the subcontinent can confuse readers who think only of the modern country.
3. the parts of the Indian subcontinent that were governed or protected by Britain
英屬印度
1947年前英國在南亞的殖民統治區域
the parts of the Indian subcontinent that were governed or protected by Britain from the mid-1700s until 1947, when the region was divided into the independent countries of India and Pakistan
Sayaka wrote her university essay on how British rule affected education in India.
Sayaka 寫了一篇大學報告，探討英國統治如何影響印度的教育。
Under British India, the railway network expanded rapidly across the subcontinent.
在英屬印度時期，鐵路網絡迅速擴展到整個次大陸。
collocation: under British India
The maps of colonial India included areas that are now part of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
殖民時期印度的地圖包含了現在屬於巴基斯坦、孟加拉國和緬甸的地區。
Zola examined old photographs of market streets in British India for her photography project.
Zola 為了她的攝影專題，仔細查看了英屬印度時期市集街道的老照片。
- colonial India
broader term covering the entire period of European colonial presence, not only British rule
- the British Raj
formal term for the period of direct British government (1858–1947)
文法句型
often preceded by 'the' or 'British'
用法筆記
This sense appears mainly in history books and discussions of colonialism. Use ‘colonial India’ or ‘British India’ to be clear. After 1947, the modern Republic of India does not include Pakistan or Bangladesh.
常見錯誤
❖ 'British India was founded in 1947.' ✅ 'British India ended in 1947, when India and Pakistan became independent.' — 1947 marks the end, not the beginning, of British India.