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Chinese apps, social media and brands

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What their Chinese names mean

In ChineseLiterally
WeChat微信 WēixìnTiny message
Alipay支付宝 ZhīfùbǎoPay treasure
Taobao淘宝 TáobǎoHunt for treasure
Douyin (TikTok)抖音 DǒuyīnShaking sound
RedNote小红书 XiǎohóngshūLittle red book
Huawei华为 HuáwéiChina achieves
Xiaomi小米 XiǎomǐMillet
Luckin Coffee瑞幸 RuìxìngAuspicious luck

Apps to use in China

  1. wēi微xìn信

    WeChat (messaging app)

  2. zhī支fù付bǎo宝

    Alipay

  3. gāo高dé德dì地tú图

    Amap / AutoNavi (map app)

  4. bǎi百dù度dì地tú图

    Baidu Maps (app)

  5. dī滴dī滴

    Didi (ride-hailing company)

  6. měi美tuán团

    Meituan (Chinese food delivery and local services platform)

  7. dà大zhòng众diǎn点píng评

    Dianping (review platform)

  8. xié携chéng程

    Ctrip; Trip.com (Chinese online travel company)

  9. bǎi百dù度

    Baidu (Chinese internet company and search engine)

Social media

  1. wēi微bó博

    Weibo (Chinese social media platform)

  2. dǒu抖yīn音

    Douyin (Chinese short-video app, the Chinese version of TikTok)

  3. xiǎo小hóng红shū书

    Xiaohongshu; RedNote (Chinese social media app)

  4. kuài快shǒu手

    Kuaishou (Chinese short-video app)

  5. bBzhàn站

    Bilibili (Chinese video-sharing site)

  6. bì哔lī哩bì哔lī哩

    Bilibili (Chinese video-sharing website)

  7. zhī知hū乎

    Zhihu (Chinese question-and-answer website)

  8. dòu豆bàn瓣

    Douban (Chinese review and social networking site)

  9. péng朋yǒu友quān圈

    Moments (WeChat social feed)

  10. gōng公zhòng众hào号

    official account (on WeChat)

Shopping, video and music

  1. táo淘bǎo宝

    Taobao (Chinese online shopping platform)

  2. tiān天māo猫

    Tmall (online shopping platform of Alibaba)

  3. jīng京dōng东

    JD.com (Chinese e-commerce company)

  4. pīn拼duō多duō多

    Pinduoduo (Chinese e-commerce platform)

  5. yōu优kù酷

    Youku (Chinese video website)

  6. ài爱qí奇yì艺

    iQiyi (Chinese video streaming platform)

  7. téng腾xùn讯shì视pín频

    Tencent Video (streaming platform)

  8. wǎng网yì易yún云yīn音yuè乐

    NetEase Cloud Music (music app)

Tech companies

  1. huá华wéi为

    Huawei (Chinese telecom and electronics company)

  2. xiǎo小mǐ米

    Xiaomi (Chinese electronics company)

  3. lián联xiǎng想

    Lenovo (computer company)

  4. dà大jiāng疆

    DJI (Chinese drone company)

  5. yī一jiā加

    OnePlus (phone brand)

  6. téng腾xùn讯

    Tencent (Chinese tech company)

  7. ā阿lǐ里bā巴bā巴

    Alibaba (company)

  8. zì字jié节tiào跳dòng动

    ByteDance (Chinese tech company)

  9. wǎng网yì易

    NetEase (Chinese internet company)

  10. zhōng中guó国yí移dòng动

    China Mobile (telecom company)

Car brands

  1. bǐ比yà亚dí迪

    BYD (Chinese car and battery maker)

  2. jí吉lì利

    Geely (Chinese car maker)

  3. cháng长chéng城qì汽chē车

    Great Wall Motor

  4. hā哈fú弗

    Haval (SUV brand of Great Wall Motors)

  5. qí奇ruì瑞

    Chery (Chinese automaker)

  6. cháng长ān安qì汽chē车

    Changan Automobile (car manufacturer)

  7. hóng红qí旗

    Hongqi (Chinese car brand)

  8. shàng上qì汽

    SAIC Motor (short for 上海汽车)

  9. míng名jué爵

    MG (car brand)

  10. wǔ五líng菱

    Wuling (Chinese car brand)

  11. bǎo宝jùn骏

    Baojun (car brand of SAIC-GM-Wuling)

  12. guǎng广qì汽

    GAC Group (Guangzhou Automobile Group)

  13. chuán传qí祺

    Trumpchi (GAC car brand)

  14. běi北qì汽

    BAIC Group (short for 北京汽车)

  15. lǐng领kè克

    Lynk & Co (car brand)

  16. jí极kè氪

    Zeekr (Chinese electric car brand)

  17. wèi蔚lái来

    NIO (Chinese electric car maker)

  18. xiǎo小péng鹏

    XPeng (Chinese electric car maker)

  19. lǐ理xiǎng想qì汽chē车

    Li Auto (Chinese electric car maker)

  20. wèn问jiè界

    AITO (electric car brand developed with Huawei)

  21. líng零pǎo跑

    Leapmotor (Chinese electric car maker)

  22. téng腾shì势

    Denza (electric car brand)

  23. qì汽chē车

    car; automobile

  24. xīn新néng能yuán源chē车

    new energy vehicle (electric or hybrid car)

Clothing and sportswear

  1. lǐ李níng宁

    Li Ning (Chinese gymnast; sportswear brand)

  2. ān安tà踏

    Anta (sportswear brand)

  3. bō波sī司dēng登

    Bosideng (Chinese down-jacket brand)

  4. měi美tè特sī斯bāng邦wēi威

    Metersbonwe (Chinese clothing brand)

  5. guó国cháo潮

    China-chic trend; national-style fashion

  6. guó国huò货

    domestic products; Chinese-made goods

  7. pǐn品pái牌

    brand; trademark

Food, drink and home

  1. máo茅tái台

    Moutai (Chinese liquor)

  2. qīng青dǎo岛pí啤jiǔ酒

    Tsingtao beer

  3. hǎi海dǐ底lāo捞

    Haidilao (Chinese hot pot restaurant chain)

  4. xǐ喜chá茶

    HEYTEA (tea chain)

  5. mì蜜xuě雪bīng冰chéng城

    Mixue Ice Cream & Tea (chain)

  6. ruì瑞xìng幸

    Luckin (coffee chain)

  7. hǎi海ěr尔

    Haier (Chinese appliance brand)

  8. gé格lì力

    Gree (Chinese appliance maker)

Using apps

  1. yìng应yòng用

    (computing) app; application

  2. xià下zài载

    to download

  3. sǎo扫mǎ码

    to scan a code (QR or bar code)

  4. èr二wéi维mǎ码

    QR code

  5. wǎng网gòu购

    online shopping

  6. wài外mài卖

    takeout; food delivery

  7. dǎ打chē车

    to take a taxi; to hail a ride

What apps do you need in China?

微信 (Wēixìn), WeChat, for messages and paying, and 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo), Alipay, for paying: both take foreign cards. Then a map, 高德地图 (Gāodé Dìtú) or 百度地图 (Bǎidù Dìtú), since Google Maps is out of date in China; 滴滴 (Dīdī) for taxis; 美团 (Měituán) for food delivery; 大众点评 (Dàzhòng Diǎnpíng) for restaurant reviews; and 携程 (Xiéchéng), Trip.com, for trains and hotels. Google, WhatsApp and Instagram do not work in mainland China without a VPN.

What social media do Chinese people use?

朋友圈 (péngyǒuquān), Moments, inside WeChat is where friends post; 微博 (Wēibó) is China’s Twitter; 抖音 (Dǒuyīn) is the Chinese TikTok, made by the same company, 字节跳动 (Zìjié Tiàodòng), ByteDance; 小红书 (Xiǎohóngshū), RedNote, is for tips and reviews; B站 (B zhàn), Bilibili, for videos with 弹幕 comments flying across them; and 知乎 (Zhīhū) for questions and answers.

How do you pronounce Huawei and Xiaomi?

华为 is Huáwéi: “hwah-way”, both syllables rising. 小米 is Xiǎomǐ: “shyow-mee”, both dipping. Press Play on each name on this page to hear it. Other names English speakers often get wrong: 比亚迪 BYD is Bǐyàdí, 蔚来 NIO is Wèilái, “the future”, and 青岛 in Tsingtao beer is Qīngdǎo, the city, in an old spelling.

What are the Chinese car brands, and what do their names mean?

The big makers are 比亚迪 (Bǐyàdí), BYD, its letters taken from the pinyin; 吉利 (Jílì), Geely, which means lucky; 长城汽车 (Chángchéng Qìchē), Great Wall Motor, whose SUVs are 哈弗 (Hāfú), Haval; 奇瑞 (Qíruì), Chery, “unusual and auspicious”; 长安 (Cháng’ān), Changan, “lasting peace”, the old name of Xi’an; and 红旗 (Hóngqí), Hongqi, “red flag”, the state limousine. 上汽 (Shàngqì), SAIC, owns 名爵 (Míngjué), MG, “noble title”, and 五菱 (Wǔlíng), Wuling, “five diamonds”. Electric brands include 蔚来 (Wèilái), NIO, which sounds like 未来, the future; 理想 (Lǐxiǎng), Li Auto, “ideal”; 问界 (Wènjiè), AITO, made with Huawei; 极氪 (Jíkè), Zeekr; 小鹏 (Xiǎopéng), XPeng, named after its founder; and 零跑 (Língpǎo), Leapmotor. A car is 汽车 (qìchē), and an electric or hybrid car is a 新能源车 (xīnnéngyuán chē), a new energy vehicle.

What are the Chinese clothing brands?

The best known are sportswear: 李宁 (Lǐ Níng), founded by the Olympic gymnast of that name, and 安踏 (Āntà), Anta, which also owns FILA in China. 波司登 (Bōsīdēng), Bosideng, makes down jackets, and 美特斯邦威 (Měitèsībāngwēi), Metersbonwe, is high-street fashion; SHEIN is 希音 (Xīyīn). Chinese brands in a Chinese style are called 国潮 (guócháo), China-chic, and buying Chinese-made goods is buying 国货 (guóhuò). A brand is a 品牌 (pǐnpái), or in everyday speech a 牌子 (páizi).

Why do Chinese brands have different English names?

Most choose an English name for its sound or feel, not a translation: 瑞幸 (Ruìxìng), auspicious luck, is Luckin; 喜茶 (Xǐchá), happy tea, is HEYTEA; 联想 (Liánxiǎng), association, is Lenovo. Some keep an old spelling, like Tsingtao for 青岛, and a few are initials of the pinyin, like BYD.

Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each character in our recorded voice instead.

More for life in China

Names, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary; the literal meanings are of the characters, not the companies’ own stories.