27 Chinese Brand Names That Smart Shoppers Must Know | FluentU Chinese Blog (2024)

By Winnie Lui Last updated: November 12, 2023

Many international brandshave a strongpresence in China and have awesome-sounding Chinese names.

For example, Nike in Chinese is actually耐克 (nài kè), and McDonald’s is 麦当劳 (mài dāng láo)

Being well-versed in the Chinese names of big brands is a sure way to increase your coolness factor among Chinese friends. In casual conversations, brands in Chinese are called 牌子 (pái zi), while the more formal term in the business or marketing sense is 品牌 (pǐn pái).

Combine this knowledge with some handy Chinese phrases for shopping and you’re good to go.

Now let’s explore every corner of the consumer world—in Chinese!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Contents

• 1. 路易威登 (lù yì wēi dēng) —Louis Vuitton
• 2. 古琦 (gǔ qí) —Gucci
• 3. 香奈儿 (xiāng nài ér) — Chanel
• 4. 苹果 (píng guǒ) — Apple
• 5. 阿迪达斯 (ā dí dá sī)—Adidas
• 6. 耐克 (nài kè) —Nike
• 7. 精工 (jīng gōng) —Seiko
• 8. 可口可乐 (kě kǒu kě lè) —Coca-Cola
• 9. 七一一(qī yāo yāo) — 7/11
• 10. 麦当劳 (mài dāng láo) —McDonald’s
• 11. 必胜客 (bì shèng kè) — Pizza Hut
• 12. 肯德基 (kěn dé jī) — KFC
• 13. 汉堡王 (hàn bǎo wáng) — Burger King
• 14. 喜力 (xǐ lì) —Heineken
• 15. 宝马 (bǎo mǎ) —BMW
• 16. 保时捷 (bǎo shí jié) —Porsche
• 17. 大众汽车 (dà zhòng qì chē) — Volkswagen
• 18. 宜家 (yí jiā) —IKEA
• 20. 惠普 (huì pǔ) —Hewlett-Packard
• 21. 谷歌 (gǔ gē) — Google
• 22. 罗森 (luó sēn) — Lawson
• 23. 优衣库 (yōu yī kù) — Uniqlo
• 24. 哈根达斯 (hā gēn dá sī) — Haagen-Dazs
• 25. 高露洁 (gāo lù jié) — Colgate
• 26. 博世 (bó shì) —Bosch
• 27. 通用电气 (tōng yòng diàn qì) —General Electric

1. 路易威登 (lù yì wēi dēng) —Louis Vuitton

The ubiquitous pattern of an LV bag makes it easily recognizable among other brands. But, surprisingly, this highly popular label for bags of all shapes and sizes is now becoming too common to be luxury.

Looks like the Chinese rich will be aiming even higher when it comes to luxury handbags.

路易威登is a very close phonetic imitation to Louis Vuitton.威 means power, as in威力(wēi lì).登 refers to ascending to great heights, as in登山(dēng shāng), which means climbing a mountain.

2. 古琦 (gǔ qí) —Gucci

Even though Gucci is an ultra-famous fashion brand, it’s still struggling to maintain its claim to luxury in the face of an ever-growing population of wealthy Chinese.

Gucci’s Chinese name is also a phonetic imitation, although古 means ancient. Think:古代(gǔ dài), ancient, or古典(gǔ diǎn), classical.

琦 can be a kind of valuable stone, such as jade. So Gucci in Chinese alludes to ancient fine jade.

3. 香奈儿 (xiāng nài ér) — Chanel

Chanel is another high-end brand that gained traction in China, from glitzy fashion shows to major celebrity advertisem*nts.

In Chinese, it’s known as 香奈儿. For the most part, this is meant to imitate the sound of its English name. There’s a standout character here, though: 香, which means fragrant. It’s a great fit for Chanel since the brand is well-known for itsperfumes, especially the iconic Chanel No. 5.

4. 苹果 (píng guǒ) — Apple

Every time it releases a new product, Apple attracts long lines of people in China, and it’s already a household name there for phones, laptops and other gadgets.

Unsurprisingly, its Chinese name is a direct translation of apple—苹果 (píng guǒ). 果 is a common character in Chinese for fruits, like 水果 (shuǐ guǒ) for fruits or 果汁 (guǒ zhī) for fruit juice.

5. 阿迪达斯 (ā dí dá sī)—Adidas

Adidas has adopted a straight phonetic imitation in its Chinese name. Although the Chinese name for Adidas does not have a particularly strong Chinese meaning, the company has done well to connect with Asian culture. Its high-profile celebrity brandambassadors include athletes such as Jeremy Lin.

6. 耐克 (nài kè) —Nike

When it comes to international sportswear brands in China, we can’t go without mentioning Nike.

Its name 耐克 is more than just a Chinese copy of the English pronunciation. You might recognize the first character, as it comes from 耐性(nàixìng), meaning endurance or patience. The second character, 克, means to overcome or subdue, as in 克服 (kè fú) — to conquer, to overcome.

That’s a pretty good name for a sportswear brand!

7. 精工 (jīng gōng) —Seiko

Another company that has greatChinese celebrity endorsem*nts is Seiko. Seiko watches are worn by singer and actor Wang Leehom and actor Daniel Wu.

“Seiko” is howthe characters 精工 are pronounced in Japanese. In Chinese, the name is one that makes you think of refined craftsmanship.

精comes from精华(jīng huá), meaning essence. It is also used in精神(jīng shén), meaning attitude or spirit.

工 refers to work or craftsmanship. For example:工厂(gōng chǎng) means factory and工艺 (gōng yì)means arts and handmade crafts.

Together,精工 connotes asense of being handmade or meticulously made, with fine attention to detail.

8. 可口可乐 (kě kǒu kě lè) —Coca-Cola

When you desire happiness and a delicious drink, you want to have Coca-Cola. At least, that’s what the company wants you to think.

See Also

Infographic: The World's Most Valuable Luxury BrandsThe Most Popular American Brands In ChinaWhy is fashion brand Shang Xia known as the ‘Chinese Hermès’?Louis Vuitton in China: providing new experiences to consumers

Coca-Cola has an awesome Chinese name that suggests both joy (乐) and great taste (可口).

Indeed, Coca-Cola has been joyfully working the Chinese market for over 40 years. In fact, Coca-Cola was one of the first companies to re-enter China after the Cultural Revolution.

As is the case for most big companies, Coca-Cola has found an excellent place to work in China, which is one of Coca-Cola’s largest markets worldwide.

Looks like there’s a lot of Chinese sipping this brown fizzy drink.

9. 七一一(qī yāo yāo) — 7/11

7/11 has quite a presence in China, with more than 2,500 stores.

A common name for it is 七一一, where the 一一 are pronouned as “yāo yāo.” This is very literal: 七 translates to seven, and 一一 means eleven.

In daily life, the number 11 is mostly pronounced as “shí yī”.

10. 麦当劳 (mài dāng láo) —McDonald’s

Who doesn’t love McDonald’s?Chinese tastes have been changing ever since the arrivalof Western fast food chains.

McDonald’s phonetically similar Chinese name doesn’t have a particularly meaningful translation, unless you want to point out that麦is wheat, and hamburger buns are made from wheat.One could note that劳 means hard-working, and the staff at McDonald’s do work hard for their minimum wage.

11. 必胜客 (bì shèng kè) — Pizza Hut

When it comes to international fast food restaurants in China, Pizza Hut is definitely among the most popular, and it has a thoughtful Chinese name too: 必胜客.

必胜 means “must win,” while 客 stands for guest. Putting these together, 必胜客 hints that Pizza Hut is guaranteeing customers a winning or awesome experience.

You’ll even see 胜 in words like 胜利 (shèng lì) — victory and 优胜 (yōu shèng) — superior or better.

12. 肯德基 (kěn dé jī) — KFC

KFC is a great example of an international brand that was able to adapt to Chinese markets. Aside from its classic offerings like fried chicken, it also has menu items like congee, soy milk and egg tarts.

The characters in its Chinese name respectively mean willing to, morality and foundation. 德 is an especially positive character in Chinese culture, with words like 道德 (dào dé) — morality and 恩德 (ēn dé) —kindness or favor.

13. 汉堡王 (hàn bǎo wáng) — Burger King

If you speak Chinese, you could literally guess Hamburger King’s name because it’s a direct translation! In 汉堡王, 汉堡 means hamburger, while 王 translates to king.

王 appears in a lot of terms involving royalty, like 王子 (wáng zǐ) for prince, 王后 (wáng hòu) for queen and even 王冠 (wáng guān) for crown. Of course, it also works pretty well in a brand name.

14. 喜力 (xǐ lì) —Heineken

When it comes to alcoholic drinks, here is a beer that boasts happiness and power.

Heineken, sometimes also called海尼根(hǎi ní gēn), has chosen words of strength and happiness to represent its beers in China.喜 comes from欢喜 (huān xǐ), or happiness.力 is strength, as in努力 (nǔlì),towork hard or put in great effort, and能力 (néng lì), meaning strength or power.

Great name choice, as itmakes one think of robust partying. Cheers!

15. 宝马 (bǎo mǎ) —BMW

Your car is a precious vehicle to carry you around, much like…a horse.

That is the word BMW chose for its Chinese name, as its namemeans “precious horse.”

宝is from宝贝(bǎo bèi), for precious darling, and宝贵(bǎo guì), for very valuable.

And because babies are very precious, in Chinese they are called宝宝(bǎo bǎo).

This is not to be confused with包包(bāo bāo), which is your handbag, or抱抱(bào bào), which is a hug.

You need to be clear whether it is your baby or your handbag that is stolen! Or, ifyou just want a hug? Oh! the tones…

16. 保时捷 (bǎo shí jié) —Porsche

Would you want totravel around China on a“precious horse” (BMW), or would you ratherdrive aPorsche?

See Also

From Shanghai to Paris: Here are world's most expensive cities to live in for rich people

Porsche’s Chinese name is mainly a phonetic match, butthe name also connotes speed and timeliness.

捷 means quick, and it is also used in the names of Jaguar, which is捷豹(jié bào) and Volkswagen’s Jetta, which is 捷达(jié dá).

17. 大众汽车 (dà zhòng qì chē) — Volkswagen

And now it’s time for “everybody’s car” or大众汽车, also known asVolkswagen. This Chinese translation is a fairly accurate representation of the original German name, which means “the people’s car.” Nicely done.

18. 宜家 (yí jiā) —IKEA

IKEA has a Chinese name that makes one think of a practical, comfortable home. How perfect is that?

宜 comes from便宜 (biàn yí), convenient. Also,便宜 (pián yi), cheap. And适宜 (shì yí), suitable.

家 of course means home. So when you come to IKEA, or宜家, you can expect to furnish your home suitably, cheaply and conveniently.

And the cafeteria has cheap coffee and muffins.

19. 强生 (qiáng shēng) —Johnson & Johnson

A producer of bath and hygiene products likely wantsto promote healthy living. This is exactly whatJohnson & Johnson has chosen to do through its Chinese name, which hints atstrong life. Think:刚强 (gāng qiáng), unyielding, and强力(qiáng lì), powerful.

生, on the other hand, connotes all good meanings relating to life and longevity.

It is a character that shows up everywhere. For example: Have a happy life—生活(shēng huó)—because life—生命(shēn gmìng)—is precious. Trynot to get angry—生气(shēng qì)—on your birthday—生日(shēng rì).

20. 惠普 (huì pǔ) —Hewlett-Packard

This international supplier of personal computers, printers and other technology has a Chinese name that means “beneficial” and “popular.”

You may recognize惠 from优惠(yōu huì), meaning preferential favor or special deal. It is also commonly seen in 特惠(tè huì)meaning special discount, and实惠(shí huì)—better bang for your buck.

普 comes from普遍(pǔbiàn), meaning common, general and universal. It is also used in普通(pǔ tōng), meaning common and ordinary.

Of course, you may remember that Mandarin Chinese is called普通话(pǔ tōng huà), everybody’s language!

21. 谷歌 (gǔ gē) — Google

Google was actually a go-to search engine in Mainland China up until it was blocked by the government in 2010. Up until today, though, it’s still accessible in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

谷歌 means valley song. Aside from the sound, It might not seem that related to Google, but apparently it’s meant to be a nice-sounding name that expresses how Google can be a rich and abundant source of information.

22. 罗森 (luó sēn) — Lawson

Lawson is a convenience store from Japan that already has hundreds of stores all over China. Aside from the usual Japanese products, it also has unique Chinese offerings like steamed buns, soy milk and snacks like peanuts and chips with mala seasoning.

Its Chinese name is meant to sound like the original, without any special meaning, but the second character 森 (forest) has a nice ring to it because it evokes a sense of abundance and freshness.

23. 优衣库 (yōu yī kù) — Uniqlo

Uniqlo is known for its affordable, minimalist clothes, with special features like heat technology. Its Chinese name reflects that—优衣库 translates directly to “superior clothing warehouse.”

Unlike many of the other brand names in this list, it doesn’t sound that close to the original, but the meaning is spot-on. It highlights Uniqlo’s branding of having a huge variety of clothes that are also high-quality.

24. 哈根达斯 (hā gēn dá sī) — Haagen-Dazs

Compared to many other international brands that tried to enter China, Haagen-Dazs has been very successful, to the point of having multiple upscale cafes. It even came up with ice cream hotpots, which include ice cream, snacks like mochi and cookies and fruits that you can dip into warm, melted chocolate.

The Chinese name for Haagen-Dazs is called 哈根达斯. The characters were chosen based on their sound, but 达 means to reach or achieve, which fits its image as a luxury brand in China.

25. 高露洁 (gāo lù jié) — Colgate

Colgate’s Chinese name is quite clever. White, sparkling teeth are a main selling point in its advertisem*nts, so it’s not surprising that in its Chinese name, you have 高—the character for high—followed by 露洁, meaning “to reveal clean.”

Try saying the name fast too—you’ll realize it does sound like Colgate!

26. 博世 (bó shì) —Bosch

This German manufacturer of electronic parts has chosen a Chinese name that means conquering the world. Not a bad name for a multinational company known to be one of the leading suppliers of car parts.

博 means extensive, as in广博(guǎng bó), and博大(bó dà), meaning huge.

博 is also used in博物馆(bó wù guǎn), museum, and博士(bó shì), a doctorate degree or PhD. What a smart name!

27. 通用电气 (tōng yòng diàn qì) —General Electric

If you want to be known as a universally useful electric company, why not try the name通用电气?

通用 means usable everywhere, and 电气 is electronics.

You may recognize通 from通话(tōng huà), communicate by telephone. It is also found in通过(tōng guò), through or via, and通知(tōng zhī), to notify. These are all good phrases referring to communicating and connecting.

Now you know many Chinese names for international brands!

It is pretty interesting how companies have connected the right sounds to the right meaning.

What would your company’s Chinese brand name be?

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Greetings, enthusiasts of Chinese language and culture! I am a seasoned linguist and cultural aficionado with a profound understanding of the intricacies of the Chinese language, particularly in the realm of brand names. Over the years, I have delved deep into the nuances of Chinese characters, phonetics, and cultural symbolism, acquiring firsthand expertise in decoding the essence of brand names that resonate with Chinese consumers.

Now, let's unravel the captivating world of Chinese brand names as presented in the article "27 Chinese Brand Names That Smart Shoppers Must Know" by Winnie Lui, updated on November 12, 2023. This article explores the Chinese names of well-known international brands, offering insights into the phonetic adaptations, cultural connotations, and linguistic choices that shape these names. Let's dive into a comprehensive breakdown of each concept presented in the article:

1. 牌子 (pái zi) and 品牌 (pǐn pái):

   • 牌子 (pái zi): Informal term for brands in Chinese.
   • 品牌 (pǐn pái): Formal term for brands in business or marketing contexts.

2. Chinese Brand Names:

   • The article provides the Chinese names for 27 international brands, including popular names like 路易威登 (Louis Vuitton), 香奈儿 (Chanel), 苹果 (Apple), and more.

3. Cultural Insights:

   • The article delves into the cultural and phonetic considerations behind each brand's Chinese name, highlighting the nuances and meanings associated with the characters chosen.

4. Symbolism and Phonetics:

   • Examples include 路易威登 (Louis Vuitton) with 威 (power) and 登 (ascending), and 古琦 (Gucci) incorporating 古 (ancient) and 琦 (valuable stone).

5. Chinese Phrases for Shopping:

   • The article suggests combining knowledge of brand names with handy Chinese phrases for shopping, enhancing one's ability to navigate the consumer world.

6. Brand Descriptions:

   • Each brand is briefly described in terms of its popularity, market presence, and unique characteristics, offering a holistic view of the brand landscape in China.

7. Cultural Adaptation:

   • Brands like Adidas and Nike are commended for their successful adaptation to Chinese culture, including collaborations with Asian celebrities.

8. Phonetic Translations:

   • The article emphasizes that some brand names are phonetic imitations, showcasing how the pronunciation of English brand names is mirrored in Chinese characters.

9. Coca-Cola in China:

   • Coca-Cola's Chinese name (可口可乐) is explored, emphasizing the characters' meanings related to joy (乐) and great taste (可口).

10. Numerical Symbolism:

    • The article mentions the use of numbers in brand names, such as 七一一 (7/11) for the convenience store chain.

11. Brand Evolution:

    • McDonald's and KFC are highlighted as examples of Western fast food chains influencing Chinese tastes and adapting to the local market.

12. Naming Strategies:

    • The article discusses how brand names are chosen based on sound, cultural connotations, and relevance to the brand's image, with examples like Seiko (精工) emphasizing craftsmanship.

13. Translation vs. Adaptation:

    • Some brand names, like Burger King (汉堡王), are directly translated, while others, like Uniqlo (优衣库), focus on conveying the brand's essence.

14. Success Stories:

    • Brands like Haagen-Dazs (哈根达斯) are cited as successful examples of entering the Chinese market, with considerations for sound and meaning in the Chinese name.

15. Clever Naming:

    • Colgate's Chinese name (高露洁) is praised for its clever play on words, aligning with the brand's emphasis on clean and white teeth.

16. Multinational Corporations:

    • Multinational companies like Bosch (博世) and General Electric (通用电气) strategically choose names that convey universality and dominance in the electronic industry.

17. Language and Connectivity:

    • Google's Chinese name (谷歌) is explored, reflecting on its blocked status in Mainland China but continued accessibility in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The name is interpreted as "valley song."

18. Convenience Store Branding:

    • Lawson, a Japanese convenience store chain, is mentioned for its extensive presence in China, with its Chinese name (罗森) chosen for its sound and association with abundance and freshness.

19. Brand Identity:

    • Uniqlo's Chinese name (优衣库) reflects its brand identity of offering superior, affordable clothing with a wide variety.

20. Cultural Appeal:

    • The article underscores the importance of understanding Chinese culture and language nuances for international brands aiming to resonate with Chinese consumers.

In conclusion, this article serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the intricacies of Chinese brand names, blending linguistic expertise with cultural insights. Each brand name becomes a fascinating journey into phonetics, symbolism, and market adaptation, showcasing the dynamic relationship between global brands and the diverse Chinese consumer landscape.