state

Compared meaning: a country, as a place or political unit (noun).

比较义项：国家（名词）。

• state 本词

  Emphasizes a country's government or political authority, not its land or people; used in phrases like 'head of state' and formal or legal contexts such as international agreements; sounds odd for casually asking where someone is from.

  强调一国的政府或政治权力，而非其领土或人民；常用于“国家元首（head of state）”等固定搭配以及国际协议等正式、法律语境中；若只是随口问对方来自哪里，用这个词会显得别扭。

  The head of state signed the treaty on behalf of the government.

  国家元首代表政府签署了这项条约。

• country

  The everyday, neutral word for a nation as a geographic and political place; used when asking where someone is from or naming places on a map; far more common in casual speech than 'state' or 'nation'.

  表示“国家”最常用、最中性的词，指地理和政治意义上的一个地方；常用于询问对方来自哪个国家或在地图上指称某地；在日常口语中比 state 或 nation 都更常见。

  Which country are you from, and what language do you speak there?

  你来自哪个国家？在那里说什么语言？

• nation

  Highlights a country as a body of people sharing an identity or culture, often in collective or emotional contexts like celebrations, mourning, or patriotism; less common for simple geography or government matters.

  强调国家作为拥有共同身份或文化的一群人，常出现在庆祝、哀悼、爱国等带有集体情感色彩的语境中；用来谈论单纯的地理位置或政府事务时不太常用。

  The whole nation celebrated together when the team won the championship.

  整个国家在球队夺冠时一起庆祝。

State, country, and nation can all mean a country, but focus differently: state stresses government and political power, country is the common, neutral word, and nation stresses the people sharing one identity. State also means a part of the US; not compared here.

state、country、nation 在表示“国家”时都可译为汉语的“国家”，容易混淆，但侧重点不同：state 强调政府或政治权力，country 是最常用的中性说法，nation 强调作为一个整体的国民或民族认同。注意：state 在英语中还常指美国等国内部的“州”（如 California is a state），本卡不比较这一用法。

Compared meaning: say or express something (verb).

比较义项：说，表达（动词）。

• say

  The everyday, all-purpose verb for speaking or expressing words; neutral in tone and used in casual conversation, quotes, or reported speech, without implying formality or precision.

  这是最普通、万能的动词，用于说话或用言语表达；语气中性，常用于日常对话、引语或转述，不强调正式或精确。

  He didn't say much, just smiled and left the room.

  他没说什么，只是笑了笑就离开了房间。

• state 本词

  More formal and precise; used when someone expresses something clearly, definitely, or officially, often in reports, forms, or legal settings.

  更正式、更精确，用于清楚、明确或正式地表达某事，常见于报告、表格或法律场合。

  Witnesses must clearly state their name before giving testimony.

  证人在作证前必须清楚地陈述自己的姓名。

Say and state both mean to express something in words. Say is casual, used in everyday speech; state is formal, used when something is expressed clearly and officially, as in reports. Not compared: state as a noun (country, condition), or say meaning 'supposedly'.

这两个词在这一意义上相近，但语气和正式程度不同：say是最普通、口语化的说法，state更正式，强调清楚明确地陈述，常见于正式场合或书面语。这里不比较state表示“州”或“状态”的名词义，也不比较say表示“据说”的其他用法。