Incorporating foreign words and naming foreign objects
2.5
Objects比萨/比薩 bǐsà pizza
汉堡包/漢堡包 hànbǎobāo hamburgerC1.1
- Forming new words based on meaning or function.
- When new items enter China, they often lose their foreign pronunciation and get new
Chinese names that reflect their meaning or function. Here are some examples:
电视/電視 diànshì television (electric vision)
电脑/電腦 diànnǎo computer (electric brain)
微波炉/微波爐 wēibō lú microwave oven (micro-wave-stove)
手机/手機 shǒujī cell phone/mobile phone (hand
machine)
热狗/熱狗 règǒu (lit.) hot dog
卫星/衛星 wèixīng satellite (protection star)- Forming new words based on meaning while preserving the foreign pronunciation.
万维网/萬維網 wàn wéi wǎng the World Wide Web (a net of 10,000
connections)
可乐/可樂 kělè cola (it can make you happy)
拖拉机/拖拉機 tuōlājī tractor (drag pull machine)
摩托车/摩托車 mótuō chē motorcycle (a vehicle you touch and
support with your hands)
信用卡 xìnyòng kǎ credit card (trust card)
吉普车/吉普車 jípǔchē jeep (lucky widely used vehicle)
Foreign companies often follow this principle when translating the names of their companies
and their products into Chinese.可口可乐/可口可樂 Kěkǒukělè Coca Cola [soft drink] (pleasant to
drink and it can make you happy)
福特 Fútè Ford [automobiles] (happiness –
exceptional)
汰渍/汰漬 Tàizì Tide [laundry detergent] (eliminate
stains and sludge)