How to correctly pronounce the names of Chinese cars sold in Russia. Dhikr is clear, but what about the rest?

There are more and more Chinese cars on the roads, but we still call them incorrectly. And don’t even argue: I’ve never heard anyone pronounce Haval as “haval”, but that’s exactly how this brand is read.

Try saying it out loud: Changan, Omoda, Jaecoo? I am 99% sure that you pronounced these words incorrectly.

And it’s the same story with the vast majority of other cars. Our friends from the Middle Kingdom make good cars, so let’s finally find out what to call these cars correctly.

As a bonus, I’ll tell you what these names mean. Believe me, some are quite romantic.

friend

We are talking: Haval, Lavash
Right: Havel, Haveil

Haval Dargo X.

Let’s start with one of the most common brands of the Chinese automobile industry in Russia called Haval. Many people pronounce this word as “haval”, but in fact it is correct to say “havel” with the emphasis on the first syllable. This is because the name is an abbreviation for the phrase “I have all.”

However, at the Russian representative office of Haval, the employees themselves read this word as “havAil”, claiming that this is the most canonical.

In the brand’s homeland, the Chinese pronounce its name as “Ha Fu,” which translates as “almighty.” But this fact is just for your information, don’t say that in Russia, your compatriots won’t understand.

JAC

We are talking: Yak, Jacques, Moskvich
Right: Jack

JAC JS3.

This brand is popular because modern Moskvich cars are assembled at its base in Russia. Well, as they assemble, they just change the nameplates, and even then not everywhere.

However, JAC is quite popular and can often be seen on the roads. The name is an abbreviation for Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. and is correctly read as “Jak” rather than “Yak”.

Omoda

We are talking: Ready
Right: Oh Manda

Omoda C5.

Frankly, among Chinese cars this brand is one of my favorites, in particular the Omoda C5 model. Therefore, Omoda was the first name out of all the variety of brands that I learned to pronounce correctly.

And correctly Omoda is read as “ou menda” and is translated as “New Fashion”. Try saying this word out loud, isn’t it much nicer than “omOda”?

Voyah

We are talking: Voyakh, Vayakh
Right: Voya

Voyah Dream.

Premium Voyah cars are produced at the plant, which inherited the capacity of the Sino-French joint venture. So this word is correctly read as “voya” and alludes to the French “voyage”, which means “journey”.

The Chinese themselves put a completely different meaning into this word: Voyah is written in two hieroglyphs, the first of which means fog and fresh wind in the mountains, filling with new energy, and the second is a plan for new achievements based on fundamental knowledge.

This is too sublime and poetic, just remember the connection between Voya and traveling in French.

Jetour

We are talking: Je Tur
Right: Cze Tu

Jetour X50.

Another representative of the more or less premium segment of the Chinese automobile industry seems to have the most French name possible. However, no.

The most common pronunciation I’ve heard is “Je Tur”. Yes, it’s beautiful. But completely wrong. In fact, Jetour is correctly said as “Jie Tu”, and it translates as “shortest path”.

Changan

We are talking: Changan
Right: Chang Yan

Changan CS35.

This brand takes an honorable second place in the list of my favorites from the world of the Chinese automobile industry. In our country, Changan is most often pronounced as “Changan”, but it is correct to say “Chang Yan”.

Although in dealership centers everyone says “changan” and does not reflect on this matter. As for me, this is almost the only case when incorrect pronunciation sounds more pleasant to the Russian ear, which is why you say “changan”. But know that what you say is a little wrong.

BYD

We are talking: Bud, Bud, We
Right: Biyadi

U8 WORLD.

The name BYD contains the phrase Build Your Dreams, so this abbreviation should be read as “BY-D” according to English rules. However, the Chinese themselves pronounce this abbreviation as “Biyadi,” which sounds a little funnier, but more meaningful.

Evil tongues claim that at the very beginning of the brand’s expansion into European markets, the abbreviation was deciphered as “Bring You Dollars,” but then the Chinese came to their senses and hired marketers to correct the situation. So the correct decoding now is “Build your dream”, not “give your dollars”.

Xpeng

We are talking: Ikspeng
Right: Xiaopeng

Xpeng G6.

The word Xpeng has several meanings: it is both the “giant bird Peng” and a reference to the name of the chairman of the board of Xpeng Motors, He Xiaopeng.

Again, it’s difficult for us to remember these substitutions in letters, so “Ikspeng” has taken root quite well on Russian territory. But if you pronounce this word correctly, only the Chinese themselves will appreciate your efforts.

BLOCK

We are talking: Baik
Right: Bei Qi

BAIC X75.

Another brand whose abbreviation encodes the full name of the automobile company.

The company itself is called Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co, or Beijing Automotive Group. This is shortened to Bei Qi, which sounds a little more interesting than Baik.

Kaiyi

We are talking: Kai, Kau, Kayu
Right: Kayi

Kaiyi X7 Kunlun.

The company that produces these cars is called Yibin Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., so that is what is encrypted in the word Kaiyi. It’s quite strange for us to see four vowels in a row in one word, so I haven’t seen any pronunciation options.

And you need to say “Kayi” correctly, with the emphasis on the first syllable.

Which brands do we pronounce correctly?

Zeekr is pronounced like Zikr. Thank you.

In the end, I want to dilute the Chinese vibe a little with the names of cars that also came to us from the Middle Kingdom, but we pronounce them correctly. It’s difficult to say whether this is the merit of marketers, or just luck, but here are some auto brands whose names do not need to be relearned:

FAW – Fav
Geely
Zeekr – Zikr
Exeed — Exide
Tank — Tank (or Tank)
Great Wall – Great Wall

In any case, the main thing is that the car drives, does not break down and pleases its owner. So if you are happy with your Cze Tu or Xiaopeng, you can call him whatever you want.

But if you want to make an impression in a conversation with car enthusiasts, you can remember the correct pronunciation, so that the guys in the car service will immediately understand that you are a true fan of the brand.