Names of Major International Companies in Chinese

How Foreign Companies Get Chinese Names

International brands usually have several ways to render their names in Chinese.

The first way is by sound. The Chinese name tries to sound similar to the original.

麦当劳
màidāngláo
McDonald’s

肯德基
kěndéjī
KFC

迪士尼
Díshìní
Disney

The second way is by meaning. The name is translated in a way that conveys the idea of the brand.

微软
wēiruǎn
Microsoft

The word 微 wēi means “micro” or “small,” and 软 ruǎn means “soft.” This is a very successful rendering of the name Microsoft: micro + soft.

The third way is a combination of sound and a good meaning. This is especially important for brands, because in Chinese, characters are perceived not only as sounds, but also as meanings.

可口可乐
kěkǒu kělè
Coca-Cola

This name not only sounds similar to Coca-Cola, but also has a pleasant meaning: roughly “tasty and joyful.”

Technology Companies in Chinese

Let’s start with companies that often appear on the internet, in apps, in the news, and in technology.

苹果
píngguǒ
Apple

Literally, 苹果 píngguǒ means “apple.” This is an example of translation by meaning.

微软
wēiruǎn
Microsoft

谷歌
gǔgē
Google

亚马逊
yàmǎxùn
Amazon

脸书
liǎnshū
Facebook

Literally, 脸 liǎn means “face,” and 书 shū means “book.” However, in modern Chinese, the original name Facebook is also often used.

英特尔
yīngtè’ěr
Intel

三星
sānxīng
Samsung

Literally, 三星 sānxīng means “three stars.”

索尼
suǒní
Sony

特斯拉
tèsīlā
Tesla

甲骨文
jiǎgǔwén
Oracle

Interestingly, 甲骨文 jiǎgǔwén is also the name of ancient Chinese writing on oracle bones. For the company Oracle, this is a very successful translation by meaning: oracle — “a prophecy” or “an oracle.”

Social Networks and Internet Services

The names of social networks in Chinese can be used in different ways. Sometimes there is a Chinese name, but in everyday speech or online, people may also write the original English name.

脸书
liǎnshū
Facebook

优兔
yōutù
YouTube

This is a phonetic rendering. But more often, you can simply see YouTube.

推特
tuītè
Twitter / X

网飞
wǎngfēi
Netflix

奈飞
nàifēi
Netflix

For Netflix, you can come across both variants: 网飞 and 奈飞. 网 wǎng is connected with the internet, so 网飞 conveys the idea of an online service well.

领英
lǐngyīng
LinkedIn

Car Companies in Chinese

The names of car brands are often seen in China because the car market there is very large.

宝马
bǎomǎ
BMW

Literally, 宝马 bǎomǎ means “precious horse” or “valuable steed.” It is a beautiful and very memorable name.

奔驰
bēnchí
Mercedes-Benz

奔驰 bēnchí means “to speed along” or “to move fast.” The name sounds very dynamic.

奥迪
àodí
Audi

大众
dàzhòng
Volkswagen

大众 dàzhòng means “the people,” “the masses,” or “the general public.” This conveys the idea of Volkswagen — “the people’s car” — very well.

丰田
fēngtián
Toyota

本田
běntián
Honda

日产
rìchǎn
Nissan

福特
fútè
Ford

保时捷
bǎoshíjié
Porsche

法拉利
fǎlālì
Ferrari

兰博基尼
lánbójīní
Lamborghini

特斯拉
tèsīlā
Tesla

Food and Beverage Companies

These names are especially useful for travel, everyday speech, and reading signs.

麦当劳
màidāngláo
McDonald’s

肯德基
kěndéjī
KFC

星巴克
xīngbākè
Starbucks

Literally, 星 xīng means “star.” The name conveys the sound of Starbucks and looks beautiful at the same time.

可口可乐
kěkǒu kělè
Coca-Cola

百事可乐
bǎishì kělè
Pepsi-Cola

雀巢
quècháo
Nestlé

汉堡王
hànbǎo wáng
Burger King

Literally: “burger king.”

赛百味
sàibǎiwèi
Subway

Clothing, Sports, and Cosmetics

Many clothing and cosmetics brands also have Chinese names.

耐克
nàikè
Nike

阿迪达斯
ādídásī
Adidas

彪马
biāomǎ
Puma

优衣库
yōuyīkù
Uniqlo

优衣库 yōuyīkù can be roughly understood as “a good wardrobe / a good clothing store.”

路易威登
lùyì wēidēng
Louis Vuitton

香奈儿
xiāngnài’ér
Chanel

迪奥
dí’ào
Dior

古驰
gǔchí
Gucci

欧莱雅
ōuláiyǎ
L’Oréal

宜家
yíjiā
IKEA

宜家 yíjiā sounds very successful because it can be perceived as “suitable for the home.”

Why Chinese Brand Names Do Not Always Look Like the Original

In Chinese, you cannot simply take a foreign word and write it with letters, as you can in Russian or English. Chinese writing consists of characters, and each character usually has its own sound and meaning.

That is why, when creating a Chinese name, it is important to consider several things at once:

For example, 可口可乐 kěkǒu kělè is considered a very successful name because it sounds similar to Coca-Cola and at the same time creates pleasant associations: taste, joy, and pleasure.

And 宝马 bǎomǎ for BMW does not sound like just a set of similar sounds, but like a beautiful independent Chinese name.

Useful Phrases with Company Names

You can use these names in simple sentences even at a beginner level.

我用苹果手机。
wǒ yòng Píngguǒ shǒujī.
I use an Apple phone / iPhone.

我喜欢星巴克的咖啡。
wǒ xǐhuan Xīngbākè de kāfēi.
I like Starbucks coffee.

我想去麦当劳。
wǒ xiǎng qù Màidāngláo.
I want to go to McDonald’s.

你喜欢耐克还是阿迪达斯？
nǐ xǐhuan Nàikè háishi Ādídásī?
Do you like Nike or Adidas?

这辆车是宝马。
zhè liàng chē shì Bǎomǎ.
This car is a BMW.

我在亚马逊买东西。
wǒ zài Yàmǎxùn mǎi dōngxi.
I buy things on Amazon.

你用谷歌吗？
nǐ yòng Gǔgē ma?
Do you use Google?

How to Ask the Name of a Company in Chinese

If you see a brand or company and want to know what it is called in Chinese, you can ask:

这个公司中文叫什么？
zhè ge gōngsī Zhōngwén jiào shénme?
What is this company called in Chinese?

这个品牌中文叫什么？
zhè ge pǐnpái Zhōngwén jiào shénme?
What is this brand called in Chinese?

苹果是什么意思？
Píngguǒ shì shénme yìsi?
What does Apple / 苹果 mean?

这个名字怎么读？
zhè ge míngzi zěnme dú?
How do you read this name?

A Few Useful Words on This Topic

公司
gōngsī
company

品牌
pǐnpái
brand

名字
míngzi
name

中文名
Zhōngwén míng
Chinese name

国际公司
guójì gōngsī
international company

科技公司
kējì gōngsī
technology company

汽车公司
qìchē gōngsī
car company

快餐店
kuàicān diàn
fast food restaurant

The Main Idea

The names of major international companies in Chinese are not just translations. Very often, a lot of work with sound, meaning, and associations stands behind them.

Some names are translated by meaning, such as 苹果 píngguǒ — Apple. Others convey the sound, such as 麦当劳 Màidāngláo — McDonald’s or 特斯拉 Tèsīlā — Tesla. And some are especially successful because they combine sound and a beautiful meaning, such as 可口可乐 kěkǒu kělè — Coca-Cola.

For Chinese learners, these names are useful not only as vocabulary. They also help you better feel how the Chinese language works: how characters are chosen, why meanings matter, and how foreign words become part of Chinese speech.