Chinese-translated titles often have little to do with their English titles. This is partly to do with the fact that written Chinese is purely logographic, meaning each character represents a word, and there's no alternate script better suited for non-Chinese words (compare to Japanese, which has the phonetic kana script in addition to Chinese characters). For titles that can't be cleanly translated into Chinese, this means either using characters for their sounds rather than their meanings, which more often than not results in Bite the Wax Tadpole (the Trope Namer being an attempt to transliterate Coca-Cola into Chinese), or come up with a new title. That said, people in Taiwan, and especially in Hong Kong, also like to take extreme liberties with titles to make them sound more "poetic"
. Here are many of those examples.
In this page and its subpage(s), provide names in Mainland China (and Singapore if there are) in Simplified Chinese, while names in Hong Kong and Taiwan should be given in Traditional Chinese. When the same name is used in Mainland China and Hong Kong and/or Taiwan, list the Simplified and Traditional versions, in that order, separated by a slash; if it stays the same in both versions, list one only.
Subpages:
Other examples:
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Anime & Manga
- Aggretsuko is known as 冲吧烈子/衝吧烈子 (Charge, Retsuko!) in all regions. In mainland China it's also known as 职场小烈 (Retsuko of the Workplace).
- Astro Boy became 原子小金剛 (Little Atomic Warrior) in the Taiwanese Chinese dub of the 1980 anime adaption.
- Beelzebub is titled 惡魔奶爸 (Devil's Babysitter) in Taiwan, 魔王奶爸 (Demon King's Babysitter) in the mainland, and 魔B爸B (Demon Baby's Daddy) in Hong Kong.
- Beastars is titled 动物狂想曲 (Animal Rhapsody) in Mainland.
- Blame! was known as 探索者！ (Explorer!) in Taiwan and 特工次世代 (Next-Gen Agent) in Hong Kong.
- Bleach became 死神 (Death Gods), which is essentially the job of the protagonists of the series, so at least it's logical (moreso than the original), if overly literal.
- The official Chinese title of Blend-S is a The Place title, 調教咖啡廳 (Cafe of Punishments). However, since The '90s "調教" has came to mean fetishized punishment, which makes the title more ecchi than the series actually is.
- BNA: Brand New Animal is titled 动物新世代/動物新世代 (Animal New Age) in all regions.
- Bocchi the Rock! is published as 孤独摇滚！/孤獨搖滾！ (Lonely Rock!) in all markets.
- In Hong Kong and Taiwan, Cheerful Amnesia is officially known as 失憶再次愛上妳 (Falling in Love with Younote Again After Amnesia).
- Cowboy Bebop was known as 星际牛仔/星際牛仔 (Interstellar Cowboy) in all regions.
- One of the Chinese titles of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is 赛博浪客 (Cyberwanderer).
- Cyborg Kuro-chan: The series is known as 超级酷乐猫 (Super Cat Kuro) on the Chinese mainland, known as 超級小黑咪 (Super Little Kuro) in Hong Kong, or 霹靂酷樂貓 (Thunderbolt Cat Kuro) in Taiwan. Also in Hong Kong, the manga was initially named 超級數碼機械貓 (Super Digital Robot Cat), but was changed to its current name after the first few volumes were published, and almost all references to the series name were changed to reflect the current title in later pressings of the volumes.
- Doctor Slump is known as IQ博士 (Doctor IQ / IQ Professor) in Hong Kong, 阿拉蕾 (Arale) in the mainland, and 怪博士與機器娃娃 (Dr. Odd and Robot Girl) in Taiwan.
- Doraemon had a plethora of names before its current, unified title. It was known as 叮噹 (Ding-Dong, 1973-1996) in Hong Kong (named after Doraemon's bell collar), 機器貓小叮噹 (Little Ding-Dong the Robot Cat, 1976-1992) and 神奇小叮噹 (The Fantastic Little Ding-Dong, 1993-1997) in Taiwan (following Hong Kong's title), as well as either 小叮当 (Little Ding-Dong) or 机器猫 (Robot Cat, both pre-1995) in Mainland China (following the Hong Kong or Taiwanese title). The current title of 哆啦A梦/多啦A夢/哆啦A夢 (Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively) is a phonetic transcription (pronounced "Duōlā'ēimèng" in Mandarin and "do1 laai1 ei1 mung6" in Cantonese) of the Japanese title that came about in the mid-'90s at the request of Fujiko Fujio.
- Fairy Tail becomes 魔導少年 (Sorceror Teenager) in Taiwan.
- Future Robot Daltanious is called 巨獸王 (Behemoth King) in Taiwan and 太空保衛團 (Space Defense Team) in Hong Kong.
- Haikyuu!! is titled 排球少年 (Volleyball Teenager) in all regions, with mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore retaining the exclamation points in the title.
- "Harukana" in Harukana Receive is untranslatable in Chinese, so in all regions the title is translated to 遙的接球/遥的接球 (Haruka's Receive). As for the eponymous team formed by Haruka and Kana, it is changed into "Team Haruka-Kana". "Eclair," known as "Team Kurea-Emiri," is similar.
- Heidi, Girl of the Alps was titled 飄零燕 (Drifting Swallow) in Hong Kong and 小天使 (Little Angel) in Taiwan. The Mainland Chinese title is the closest to the original, being 阿尔卑斯山的少女 (The Girl of the Alps).
- Depending on publishers, Hikaru no Go was titled either 棋魂 (Soul of Go)note or 棋靈王 (Spirit King of Go)note .
- La Seine No Hoshi was titled 月光女俠 (Moonlight Heroine) in Taiwan and 紅花俠影 (Red Flower Heroine) in Hong Kong.
- Magical Princess Minky Momo is 甜甜仙子 (Sweet Fairy) in Taiwan
- Medaka Box is changed to 最强会长黑神 (Kurokami, the Greatest Council President) in Mainland, 最強學生會長 (Greatest Student Council President) in Taiwan, and 校園一姐黑神 (Kurokami, Top Dog of the Campus) in Hong Kong.
- Naruto becomes 火影忍者 (Hokage Ninjas), which doesn't at all translate the title, but fits.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion had the title 新世纪天鹰战士 (New Century Heavenly Eagle Warriors) when it was first introduced to the Mainland. It was eventually re-titled 新世纪福音战士/新世紀福音戰士 (New Century Evangelion Warriors), which is closer to the Japanese title.
- Nintama Rantarou became 忍者亂太郎 (Ninja Rantarou).
- Similar to Naruto, One Piece became 海賊王 (Pirate King) or 航海王 (Sailor King), depending on the publisher.
- Persia, the Magic Fairy is 貝露莎 (Perusha) in Taiwan, which is transliterated from the Japanese katakana. In Hong Kong it's titled 我愛莎莎 (I Love Shasha), which... requires some explanationexplanation.
- Please Tell Me! Galko-chan became 百無禁忌！女高中生私房話 (No Holds Barred! High School Girls' Secret Conversations) in Taiwan.
- Pop Team Epic is titled pop子和pipi美的日常 (The Daily Lives of Popuko and Pipimi) in Mainland China.
- Pretty Cure is known as 光之美少女 (Bishoujo of Light) in all regions. Taiwan also changed some of the subtitles, including:
- Fresh becomes 幸福精靈 Fresh! (Happiness Faries Fresh!) note
- Heartcatch becomes 甜蜜天使 (Sweet Angels)
- Suite becomes 美樂天使 (Melody Angels)note
- A La Mode becomes 食尚甜心 (Food Fashionate Sweeties)note
- Healin’ Good becomes 元氣魔法 (Vitality Magic)
- Tropical Rouge becomes 熱情閃耀 (Passionate Shine)
- Hirogaru Sky becomes 開闊天空 (Open Sky)
- Wonderful becomes 美妙寵物 (Wonderful Pets)
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica is released as 魔法少女小圆/魔法少女小圓 (Little Madoka the Magical Girl). Since Madoka's name is rendered in katakana in Japanese, the translators had to figure out a fitting kanji with the same pronunciation.
- Samurai Champloo was titled 混沌武士 (Samurais of Chaos) in all regions. In Taiwan, it was also known as 琉球武士瘋雲錄 (Crazy Chronicles of the Ryukyuan Samurais).
- Sankarea became 殭屍哪有那麼萌？ (How Can a Zombie Be This Moe?) in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō became known in Mainland China and Taiwan as 可爱巧虎岛/可愛巧虎島 (Adorable Smart Tiger's Island). As a result, some Chinese audience may not be aware that the series originated from Japan.
- Skip and Loafer became 跃动青春/躍動青春 (Vibrant Youth) in all regions.
- Slam Dunk was titled 灌篮高手/灌籃高手 (Slam Dunk Master) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 男兒當入樽 (Boys Ought to Dunk) in Hong Kong.
- Sonny Boy is titled 漂流少年 (Teenagers Adrift) in all regions.
- SPY×FAMILY is published as 间谍过家家 in Mainland China and 間諜家家酒 in Hong Kong and Taiwan.For completeness' sake... Both can be translated to Spies Play House, as "过家家" and "家家酒" are different regional names of the same children's game.
- To Love Ru was titled 出包王女 (Trouble Princess) in Taiwan and 茶煲情緣 (Trouble Romance) in Hong Kong. Both contain phonetic transcriptions of the English word "trouble", much like how the Japanese title was a pun on the same word.
- Toriko became 美食的俘虏 (Captive of Delicacies) in Mainland, the Job Title 美食獵人 (Gourmet Hunter) in Taiwan and 為食獵人 (Gluttonous Hunter) in Hong Kong, with the latter two taking a nod to Toriko's career as a Gourmet Hunter.
- Touch (1981) became 鄰家女孩 (The Girl Next Door) in Taiwan and 棒球英豪 (Baseball Heroes) in Mainland.
- Urusei Yatsura became 山T女福星 (ET Lucky Female Alien) in Hong Kong, as well as 福星小子 (Lucky Star Boy) in Taiwan and Mainland. Interestingly, the 2022 anime is called 她來自煩星 (She Came From the Obnoxious Planet) in Taiwan, with 煩星 being a Mandarin pun from 繁星 (stars).
- Usavich was titled 監獄兔 (Jail Rabbits) in Taiwan, and 越狱兔 (Jailbreaking Rabbits) in Mainland.
- The World God Only Knows's Hong Kong dub title is 機神追女攻略 (God Gamer's Walkthrough in Pick-up).
Asian Animation
- Bernard was titled 倒霉熊 (Unlucky Bear) in all regions.
- The Chinese title of Lamput is 橙宝快跑 (Run! Little Orange Fella!). Makes sort of sense, since the show is about an orange shapeshifting blob named Lamput who is constantly being chased by a pair of scientists who want to put him back in the laboratory he escaped from.
Comics
- Blade is known as 刀锋战士/刀鋒戰士 (Blade Warrior) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 幽靈刺客 (Phantom Assassin) in Hong Kong.
- The Boys is titled 黑袍纠察队/黑袍糾察隊 (Black Cloak Picket) in all regions.
- Daredevil becomes 夜魔侠/夜魔俠 (Night Devil) in all regions. It's alternatively known as 超胆侠/超膽俠 (Super-Galled Man).
- In Taiwan, Fantastic Four was first titled 四異人 (Extraordinary Four), and would later change to 驚奇4超人 (Incredible 4 Superhumans).
- The Flash becomes 闪电侠/閃電俠 (Lightning Man) in all regions.
- Harley Quinn has the pretty straightforward name of 小丑女 (Female Joker).
- One of the names for The Incredible Hulk in Mainland is 绿巨人 (Green Giant), alongside the transcribed 浩克 (pronounced "Hàokè"). It's known as 變形俠醫 (Transforming Hero Doctor) in Hong Kong.
- InvestiGators is simply called 鳄鱼侦探 (Crocodile Detectives).
- Iron Man is known as the slightly different 钢铁侠 (Steel Man) in mainland China. The reason is that they already had a national hero nicknamed "Iron Man", so they had to find a workaround when translating the comic book hero.
- Popeye is titled 大力水手 (Strongman Sailor) in all regions.
- Teen Titans becomes 少年悍將 (Teen Valiants) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is translated to 忍者神龟 (Godly Ninja Turtles) in the mainland, and simply 忍者龜 (Ninja Turtles) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- Wonder Woman is known in Taiwan as 神力女超人 (Mighty Superwoman).
- X-Men is translated to X战警/X戰警 (War Police X) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 變種特攻 (Mutant Agents) in Hong Kong.
- Wolverine becomes 金钢狼/金鋼狼 (Indestructible Wolf) in Mainland and Taiwan. In Hong Kong he's simply known as 狼人, which can be mistaken for "Werewolf".
Films — Animated
- Anastasia became 真假公主 (Real or Fake Princess) in all regions.
- Antz was titled 蟻哥正傳 (The True Story of Brother Ant) in Hong Kong and the similar 蚂蚁尖兵 and 小蟻雄兵 (Fierce Ant Soldiers) in Mainland and Taiwan respectively.
- The Aristocats was titled 貓兒歷險記 (Cats Adventure) in Taiwan.
- Barnyard is known as 疯狂农庄/瘋狂農莊 (Crazy Farm) in all three markets, with Hong Kong and Taiwan subtitling it 動物也開趴 (Animals Party Too).
- Bee Movie was given the Pixar-esque name (more details below) of 蜜蜂总动员 (Bee General Mobilization) in Mainland. Averted in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, though, both of which translate the title quite literally (蜂電影 and 蜜蜂電影, respectively).
- Big Hero 6 was called 超能陆战队 (Superpowered Land Corps) in Mainland, 大英雄聯盟 (Big Hero League) in Hong Kong, and 大英雄天團 (Big Hero Superteam) in Taiwan.
- Brave became 勇敢传说/勇敢傳說 (Brave Legend) in mainland China and Taiwannote , and 勇敢傳說之幻險森林 (The Fantasy Forest of the Brave Legend) in Hong Kong.
- Brother Bear is called 熊的傳說 (Bear's Legend) in Taiwan and 熊之歷險 (Adventure of the Bears) in Hong Kong.
- A Bug's Life became 虫虫危机/蟲蟲危機 (Bug Crisis) in mainland China and Taiwan, a Mandarin Pun on the word "重重危机/重重危機" ("layers of risk"). It's known as 蟲蟲特工隊 (Bug Agents) in Hong Kong.
- Chicken Little was translated to 四眼天鸡/四眼天雞 (Four-Eyed Heavenly Chicken) in Mainland and Taiwan, which is a pun on "四眼田鸡/四眼田雞" ("four-eyed frog"), a somewhat derogatory term for people who wear glasses. It was titled 四眼雞丁 (Four-Eyed Little Chick) in Hong Kong.
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was titled 食破天驚 (Sky Bursts Open with Food) in Taiwan, a pun based on the Chinese idiom "石破天驚" ("sensational; shocking"), 美食風球 (Delicacy Cyclone) in Hong Kong and 天降美食 (Delicacy Falls from the Sky) in Mainland.
- Coraline became 第十四道門 (The Fourteenth Door) in Taiwan, 怪誕隨意門 (Bizarre Dimension Door) in Hong Kong, and 鬼妈妈 (Ghost Mom) in Mainland.
- Coco became 寻梦环游记 (Tour Around Dreamland) in mainland China, 玩轉極樂園 (Fun Around Paradise) in Hong Kong, and 可可人生奇遇 (Coco's Adventures in Life) in Singapore.
- In Taiwan, it was translated to 可可夜總會 (Coco Nightclub). While it might sound like it has bad implications, 'nightclub' is actually a Taiwanese euphemism for "cemetery".
- The Croods was titled 疯狂原始人 (Crazy Primitives) in Mainland.
- Despicable Me became 神偷奶爸 (Thief Daddy) in Taiwan and Mainland, and 壞蛋獎門人 (Bad Guy Prize Doorman) in Hong Kong.
- A couple of films in the Disney Animated Canon were named XX奇缘/奇緣 (A Romance of/in [movie theme]).
- Cinderella was called 仙履奇缘/仙履奇緣 (A Romance of Fairy Shoes), although it was sometimes translated to the original Chinese title of the story, 灰姑娘 (Cinder Girl).
- Pocahontas was called 风中奇缘/風中奇緣 (A Romance in the Wind).
- Tangled was called 魔发奇缘/魔髮奇緣 (A Romance of Magic Hair).
- Frozen (2013) was called 冰雪奇缘/冰雪奇緣 (A Romance in the Snow) in the Mainland and Taiwan, and the not too far-off 魔雪奇緣 (A Romance in the Magical Snow) in Hong Kong.
- In the same vein, Moana was called 海洋奇缘/海洋奇緣 (A Romance of Seas) in Mainland and Taiwan, and 魔海奇緣 (A Romance of Magical Seas) in Hong Kong.
- Wish (2023) was titled 星願奇緣 (A Romance of Wishing Star) in Hong Kong and simply 星愿/星願 (Wishing Star) in the mainland and Taiwan.
- Encanto was titled 魔法满屋/魔法滿屋 (House Full of Magic) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 奇幻魔法屋 (Fantastic Magical House) in Hong Kong.
- The Emperor's New Groove was titled 变身国王/變身國王 (Transformed King) in both the mainland and Taiwan, as well as 騎呢大帝 (The Weird Emperor) in Hong Kong.
- Fantastic Mr. Fox became 了不起的狐狸爸爸 (Fantastic Daddy Fox) in Mainland.
- Flushed Away was titled 鼠國流浪記 (Wanderings in Ratland) in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as 冲走小老鼠 (Little Rat Flushed Away) in Mainland.
- The Good Dinosaur was known as 恐龙当家/恐龍當家 (The Lead Dinosaur) in the Mainland and Taiwan, and 恐龍大時代 (The Great Dinosaur Era) in Hong Kong.
- Grave of the Fireflies became 再見螢火蟲 (Goodbye Fireflies) in Hong Kong.
- Hercules was titled 大力士 (Strongman) in all three markets.
- Hoodwinked! was titled 小紅帽特工隊 (Agent Red Riding Hood) in Hong Kong and Kuso小紅帽 (Kuso Red Riding Hood, 'kuso' meaning "parody" or "spoof") in Taiwan.
- Hotel Transylvania was named 精灵旅社 (Spirits Hotel) in Mainland, 鬼靈精怪大酒店 (Grand Hotel of Supernatural Creatures) in Hong Kong and 尖叫旅社 (Screams Hotel) in Taiwan.
- The How to Train Your Dragon movies had that title changed to 驯龙高手/馴龍高手 (Dragon-Training Master) in Mainland and Taiwan.
- The Jungle Book (1967) became 森林王子 (Jungle Prince) in Mainland and Taiwan, and 小泰山 (Little Tarzan) in Hong Kong.
- Kubo and the Two Strings became 捉妖敢死隊 (Expendable Demon Catcher) in Hong Kong and 魔弦传说/魔弦傳說 (Legend of Magic Strings) in Mainland and Taiwan, with Taiwan subtitling it with their translation of "Kubo" (酷寶, or Cool Baby).
- Inside Out became 头脑特工队 (Mind Agents) in mainland China, 腦筋急轉彎 (Brain Twister) in Taiwan and 玩轉腦朋友 (Fun with Brain Friends) in Hong Kong, the final 3 characters of the latter being a Cantonese pun on "老朋友" ("old friend").
- Leo became 畢業有蜥望, which means something like Lizard's Hope for Graduationnote , in Taiwan.
- Luca was known as 路卡的夏天 (Luca's Summer) in Taiwan. In Mainland and Hong Kong respectively, it was given the similar title 夏日友晴天/盛夏友晴天 (Sunny Summer of Friendship), both of which are double layered puns that can be interpreted as "夏日/盛夏有晴天" ("Sunny Days of Summer") or "夏日/盛夏友情天" ("Friendly Days of Summer").
- Madagascar was titled 荒失失奇兵 (Lost Mischiefs) in Hong Kong.
- Meet the Robinsons is called 未來小子 (Future Boy) in Taiwan.
- Megamind was known as the similar 超级大坏蛋 and 麥克邁：超能壞蛋 (Super Bad Guy) in Mainland and Taiwan respectively, with the latter adding the translated name of Megamind himself. In Hong Kong, it was translated/transcribed to 毛百萬 (Mou Million, pronounced "mòuh baak maahn").
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman became 天才眼镜狗 (Genius Dog with Glasses) in mainland China.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas was called 怪誕城之夜 (Night in Bizarre Town), in which the titular "Bizarre Town" was their translation of Halloween Town.
- Onward shares the same title in all three markets, that being ½的魔法 (Half of the Magic).
- Open Season was known as 丛林大反攻 (Counterattack in the Woods) in Mainland and 森林反恐隊 (Forest Counter-terror Squad) in Hong Kong.
- Over the Hedge became 森林保衛戰 (Forest Defense War) in Taiwan and 4條腿拯救隊 (4-Legged Rescue Team) in Hong Kong.
- Paprika was titled 盜夢偵探 (Dream-Stealing Detective) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- ParaNorman: Became 怪誕小學雞 (Weird Elementary Schoolchildren) in Hong Kong, 派拉諾曼：靈動小子 (ParaNorman: Spiritual Kid) in Taiwan, and 通灵男孩诺曼 (Norman the Necromancer Boy) in the Mainland.
- Peter Pan was titled 小飞侠/小飛俠 (Little Flying Hero) in all regions, in contrast to the transcribed title 彼得潘 for the novel and the play.
- Perfect Blue was known as 藍色恐懼 (Blue Fear) in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as 未麻的部屋 (Mima's Room) in mainland China.
- Many Pixar movies tend to be called XX总动员/總動員 ([movie theme] General Mobilization) in either mainland China, Taiwan or both.
- Toy Story became 玩具总动员/玩具總動員 (Toys General Mobilization) in China and Taiwan. It was called 反斗奇兵 (Mischievous Raiders) in Hong Kong.
- Finding Nemo became 海底总动员/海底總動員 (Undersea General Mobilization) in China and Taiwan. It was called 海底奇兵 (Undersea Raiders) in Hong Kong.
- Finding Dory became 海底总动员2：多莉去哪儿/海底總動員2：多莉去哪兒 (Undersea General Mobilization 2: Where's Dory Going) in Mainland and Taiwan and 海底总动员：寻找多莉 (Undersea General Mobilization: Finding Dory) in Singapore.
- The Incredibles became 超人总动员 (Superhero General Mobilization) in China. It became known as 超人特攻隊/超人特工隊/超人特工队 (Superhero Agents) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Cars became 赛车总动员 (Racecar General Mobilization) in China and 汽車總動員 (Car General Mobilization) on its Taiwanese DVD release (its Taiwanese theatrical title kept the English title untranslated!). It was called 反斗車王 (Mischievous Car King) in Hong Kong.
- WALL•E became 机器人总动员 (Robot General Mobilization) in mainland China. It was called 太空奇兵·威E (Space Raider WALL•E) in Hong Kong.
- Ratatouille became 美食总动员 (Cuisine General Mobilization) in mainland China, 料理鼠王 (Cooking Rat King) in Taiwan and 五星級大鼠 (Five-Star Rat) in Hong Kong, the latter's final two characters being a Cantonese pun on "大廚" ("chief cook").
- Princess Mononoke was titled 魔法公主 (Magic Princess) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 幽靈公主 (Spirit Princess) in Hong Kong.
- Rio became 奇鸚嘉年華 (Wonderful Parrot Carnival) in Hong Kong and 里约大冒险/里約大冒險 (Great Adventures in Rio) in Mainland and Taiwan.
- The Road to El Dorado became 勇闖黃金城 (Brave Adventures in the Golden City) in Taiwan.
- Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken became 變身少女露比 (Ruby the Transforming Girl) in Taiwan, 露比格曼: 海怪神話 (Ruby Gillman: The Myth of the Kraken) in Hong Kong, and 变身吉妹 (Gillman the Transformer) in Mainland.
- Shark Tale became known as 鯊膽大話王 (Shark-Gutted Blowhard) in Hong Kong and 鯊魚黑幫 (Shark Mafia) in Taiwan.
- Sing became 欢乐好声音/歡樂好聲音 (Happy Voice) in mainland China and Taiwan, and 星夢動物園 (Star Dream Zoo) in Hong Kong.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became 雪姑七友 (The Snow-Woman's Seven Friends) in Hong Kong, and was shortened to just 白雪公主 (Snow White) in Taiwan.
- Soul was titled 心灵奇旅 (Amazing Journeys of a Soul) in Mainland, 靈魂奇遇記 (Wonderful Adventures of a Soul) in Hong Kong, and 靈魂急轉彎 (Soul Twist) in Taiwan.
- Surf's Up was released as 冲浪企鹅 (Surfing Penguins) in Mainland China and 滑浪奇兵 (Surfing Raiders) in Hong Kong.
- The Tale of Despereaux became 浪漫鼠德佩罗 (Despereaux the Romantic Mouse) in Mainland, 大耳仔走天涯 (Big-Ears Travels the World) in Hong Kong and 雙鼠記 (A Tale of Two Rodents) in Taiwan.
- Turning Red is 青春養成記 (A Story of Youth Cultivation) in Taiwan, 青春变形记 (A Story of Youth Transformation) in Mainland China, and 熊抱青春記 (A Story of Bear-Hugging Youth) in Hong Kong.
- Up became 飞屋环游记 (Around the World in a Flying House) in mainland China, 天外奇蹟 (Miracles in the Sky) in Taiwan and 沖天救兵 (Soaring Rescue) in Hong Kong.
- Wreck-It Ralph was titled 无敌破坏王/無敵破壞王 (Invincible King of Destruction) in all three markets.
- Zootopia became 疯狂动物城 (Crazy Animal City) in mainland China, 動物方城市 (Animal City Equation) in Taiwan, "方城市" being a Mandarin pun on "方程式" ("equation"), or originaly spelled as "fun 城市" ("fun city"), and 優獸大都會 (Metropolis of Excellent Beasts) in Hong Kong, "優獸" being a Cantonese pun on "優秀" ("excellent").
Literature
- The Bible is titled 圣经/聖經 (The Sacred Classic) in all regions.
- Crazy Rich Asians was translated to 摘金奇缘 (Golden Romance) in Mainland. The same applied to the film adaptation, but it became 我的超豪男友 (My Super Extravagant Boyfriend) in Hong Kong.
- The Fault in Our Stars was titled 生命中的美好缺憾 (The Beautiful Regrets in Life) in all regions. For The Film of the Book, Taiwan and Hong Kong kept the title, while Mainland changed it to the more straightforward 星运里的错.
- One of the Chinese titles for Frankenstein was 科学怪人/科學怪人 (Science Monster).
- The Giver was titled 记忆传授人/記憶傳授人 (Receiver of Memories), the position that the protagonist Jonas was assigned. For the film adaptation, Taiwan added the subtitle 極樂謊言 (Paradise Lies), while Hong Kong gave it a different title 未來叛變 (Future Betrayal).
- Gone with the Wind became 飘/飄 (Adrift), while its film adaptation is known as 乱世佳人/亂世佳人 (Lovers in a World of Chaos).
- For the Taiwan-based traditional Chinese translation, The Hunger Games is translated as-is for the first book and the series, but:
- Catching Fire is translated as 星火燎原, an idiom that literally translates to "a small spark/flame which can burn up a field". While the usual use refers to 'something new that starts out weak but has great vitality and will go far', its figurative usage likely refers to the Rebellion, and it bears some similarity to the original title. In Mainland China, it was titled 燃烧的女孩 (Girl on Fire).
- Mockingjay deviates from this even more in Taiwan, being titled 自由幻夢 (A Dream of Freedom).
- Les Misérables is renamed 悲惨世界/悲慘世界 (Miserable World) in Mainland and Taiwan, and 孤星淚 (Tear from a Lonely Star) in Hong Kong.
- Life of Pi was titled 少年Pi的奇幻漂流 (The Amazing Driftings of Pi the Boy) in all regions. The film adaptation kept the same title, though mainland China transcribed "Pi" into Chinese (少年派的奇幻漂流).
- The Lovely Bones became 蘇西的世界 (Susie's World) in Taiwan. Same goes for the film adaptation.
- The Martian was known as 火星任務 (Mars Mission) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as 火星救援 (Mars Rescue) in Mainland. While Hong Kong and Mainland retained the same translations for the film adaptation, the Taiwanese retitled it 絕地救援 (Extreme Rescue).
- Moby-Dick is titled 白鲸记/白鯨記 (Story of the White Whale) in all regions.
- Oliver Twist is translated into 雾都孤儿 (Orphan of the Foggy City) in Mainland, 苦海孤雛 (Orphan in the Sea of Suffering) in Hong Kong, and 孤雛淚 (Tears of an Orphan) in Taiwan. These titles apply to the 2005 film adaptation as well.
- Ready Player One is published as 玩家1号 (Player 1) in Mainland and 一級玩家 (Tier One Player) in Taiwan. When it came to the film adaptation, Taiwan kept the title, Mainland changed it to 头号玩家 (Top-Tier Player), while Singapore and Hong Kong titled it 挑战者1号/挑戰者1號 (Challenger No. 1).
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is titled 化身博士 (The Disguising Doctor) in all regions. This applies to the stage play as well.
- Treasure Island is known under a pun-based 金银岛/金銀島 (Silver's Gold Island).
- The Twilight Saga is titled 暮光之城 (Twilight City) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 吸血新世紀 (New Century Vampires) in Hong Kong.
- Sword Art Online is published as 刀剑神域/刀劍神域 (Fantasy Realm of Swords) in all regions.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was translated to 绿野仙踪/綠野仙蹤 (Fairy Traces in the Green Wilderness), which was actually borrowed from an 18th-century Chinese novel.
Live-Action TV
- 2 Broke Girls featured the similar titles 破产姐妹/破產姊妹花 (Broke Sisters) on select networks in all three regionsnote . Other titles, depending on the network, include 患難姊妹花 (Sisters in Hardship) on Warner TV (Taiwan and Hong Kong) and TVB (Hong Kong), as well as 追夢女孩 (Dream-Chasing Girls) on Deltamac (Taiwan).
- 3rd Rock from the Sun was titled 歪星撞地球 (Wacky Aliens Hit the Earth) in Mainland, "歪星" being a pun on "外星" ("extraterrestrial, alien").
- 13 Reasons Why is titled 漢娜的遺言 (Hannah's Last Words) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- 24 was called 24反恐任務 (Counterterror Mission 24) in Taiwan.
- 30 Rock became 我为喜剧狂 (I'm Crazy for Comedy Shows) in Mainland, 超級製作人 (Super Producer) in Taiwan, and 娛樂揸Fit人 (Chief of Entertainment) in Hong Kong.
- Art Attack became 艺术创想 (Artistic Creations) in Mainland, 小小藝術家 (Little Artist) in Hong Kong and 動手玩創意 (DIY Creations) in Taiwan.
- The Big Bang Theory is mainly known as 生活大爆炸 (The Big Bang of Life) in Mainland, 宅男行不行 (Can The Nerds Make It) in Taiwan and 囧男大爆炸 (The Big Bang of Awkward Dudes) in Hong Kong. Other names include 天才也性感 (Geniuses are Sexy Too), 天才理论传 (The Theory of Geniuses) and 特别变态科学家 (Extra-Pervy Scientists), the latter utilizing the abbreviation of the English title (TBBT, in "特别变态" [tè bié biàn tài]).
- Blackadder became 黑爵士 (The Black Duke), which only applied to the first two series where the titular Blackadder was actually a royalty.
- Baywatch was known as 护滩使者 (Guardian Angels of the Beach) in Mainland, 沙灘拯救隊 (Beach Rescue Team) in Hong Kong, 海灘遊俠 (Beach Rangers) in Taiwan.
- Breaking Bad was titled 绝命毒师/絕命毒師 (Deadly Drug Master) in all three regions.
- Better Call Saul has the comedic-sounding 风骚律师 (Flirtatious Lawyer) in Mainland, with "骚 (sāo)" sounding similar to "Saul". It's known as 絕命律師 (Deadly Lawyer) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, a Call-Back to the original series.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine was titled 神烦警探 (Annoying Detective) in Mainland and Singapore, as well as 荒唐分局 (Ridiculous Precinct) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Charlie's Angels was known as 霹靂嬌娃 (Thunder Cuties) in Taiwan and 神探俏嬌娃 (Detective Cuties) in Hong Kong. These titles were recycled for the film adaptations, with mainland China adapting the simplified Taiwanese title (霹雳娇娃).
- Community became 废柴联盟/廢柴聯盟 (Losers Union) in all three regions.
- Curb Your Enthusiasm was titled 人生如戲 (Life Is Like a Theater) in Taiwan, and 拉利真人SHOW (Larry's Reality Show) in Hong Kong.
- Deadliest Catch is 渔人的搏斗/漁人的搏鬥 (Fishermen's Fight) in the mainland and Taiwan respectively, and 驚濤蟹浪 (Crab Waves) in Hong Kong, a pun on the Chinese idiom "驚濤駭浪" ("stormy seas").
- Doctor Who is 神秘博士 (Doctor Mysterious) in Mainland, 異世奇人 (Eccentric from Another Dimension) in Hong Kong and 超時空奇俠 (Dimension-Leaping Hero) in Taiwan.
- Drake & Josh became 麻吉向前衝 (BFFs Rush) in Taiwan.
- Entourage became 明星伙伴 (Celebrity Entourage) in Mainland, 色慾荷里活 (Hollywood Lust) in Hong Kong and 我家也有大明星 (There's a Celebrity in My House Too) in Taiwan.
- ER was called 急诊室的故事 (Stories from the ER) in Mainland, 急診室的春天 (Springtime in ER) in Taiwan and 仁心仁術 (Kind Hearts, Kind Skills) in Hong Kong.
- Fleabag had the unassuming title of 伦敦生活 (Life in London) in Mainland.
- One of the Chinese titles for Friends was 六人行 (Journey of Six)
- General Hospital is titled 杏林春暖 (Warm Spring in the Apricot Forest) in Taiwan, which is a Chinese idiom praising doctors.
- Get Smart was titled 糊涂侦探 (Clueless Detective) in Mainland and 糊塗情報員 (Clueless Spy) in Taiwan.
- Girls was titled 女孩我最大 (I'm the Best of the Girls) in Taiwan and 紐約叻女 (Smart Girls of New York). In mainland China, it was either called 都市女孩 (City Girls, HBO Asia) or 衰姐们 (Bad Girls, everywhere else).
- The Good Wife became 傲骨贤妻 (The Unyielding Good Wife) in Mainland, 「法」妻 (The "Legal" Wife, a pun on "髮妻" (first wife, legal wife)) in Hong Kong, and 法庭女王 (Queen of the Court) in Taiwan.
- Grey's Anatomy was aired as 醫人當自強 (Doctors Must Strive to Better Themselves) in Hong Kong, 实习医生格蕾 (Grey the Medical Intern) in Mainland, and simply 實習醫生 (The Medical Intern) in Taiwan.
- Home Improvement became 男人唔易做 (It's Hard Being a Man) in Hong Kong.
- House was titled 醫神 (Medical God) in Hong Kong and 怪醫豪斯 (Eccentric Dr. House) in Taiwan.
- How I Met Your Mother became 老爸老妈的浪漫史 (The Romance of Mom and Dad) in Mainland and 追愛總動員 (Love-Chasing Mobilization) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- iCarly was transcribed into 爱卡莉/愛卡莉 (Loving Carly), pronounced "Ài Kǎlì".
- The IT Crowd became IT狂人 (IT Maniacs) in all regions.
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia became known in Taiwan as 酒吧五傑 (Five Paragons of the Pub).
- Jeeves and Wooster became 万能管家 (The All-Powerful Valet) in Mainland.
- Cantonese dubs of Kamen Rider gave it the title of 幪面超人 (Masked Superman). Of course, 'Kamen' is itself Japanese for 'Mask,' so it wasn't a fully English title to begin with.
- Key & Peele is commonly known as 黑人兄弟 (Black Brothers) on Mainland-Chinese internet.
- Mad Men became known as 广告狂人/廣告狂人 (Mad Men of Advertising).
- Malcolm in the Middle became 左右做人難 (Stuck in the Middle) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Married... with Children became 憔悴潘郎 (Handsome, Wan and Sallow). Other titles include 奉子成婚 (Shotgun Marriage) and 拖家带口 (Bogged Down by the Family).
- Mr. Bean had the similar title 憨豆先生 and 戇豆先生 (both Mr. Silly Bean) in Mainland and Hong Kong respectively.
- Bean was titled 憨豆先生的大灾难 (Mr. Bean's Catastrophy) in Mainland and 豆豆秀 (The Bean Show) in Taiwan.
- Mr. Bean's Holiday was titled 憨豆的黄金周 (Mr. Bean's Golden Week) in Mainland.
- Even Rowan Atkinson's unrelated spy movie Johnny English received the Market-Based Title 憨豆特工 (Agent Bean) in Mainland and 特務戇J (Agent Silly J, keeping the character "戇") in Hong Kong. In Taiwan, it was known as 凸搥特派員 (Agent Screwup).
- Johnny English Reborn was known as 特務戇J之救國大業 (Agent Silly J Saves the Country) in Hong Kong and 凸搥特派員：二度出包 (Agent Screwup: Double Trouble) in Taiwan.
- Johnny English Strikes Again was known as 特務戇J：神級歸位 (Agent Silly J: Triumphant Return) in Hong Kong.
- Mr. Robot was titled the similar 黑客军团/駭客軍團 (Legion of Hackers) in Mainland and Taiwan respectively.
- My Mad Fat Diary was released as 肥瑞的疯狂日记/肥瑞的瘋狂日記 (Fat Rae's Mad Diary) in all regions.
- Orange Is the New Black became 勁爆女子監獄 (Exhilarating Women's Prison) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the decidedly less exhilarating 女子监狱 (Women's Prison) in Mainland.
- The Originals became 創始吸血鬼 (The Founding Vampires) in Taiwan.
- One unofficial Chinese title of Parks and Recreation is 天涯小築/天涯小筑 (Little Building in the Middle of Nowhere). It doesn't have an official title because it hasn't aired in any Chinese-speaking regions.
- Peaky Blinders is known as 浴血黑帮/浴血黑幫 (Bloodbath Gang) in all three regions.
- Planet Earth was translated to 地球脉动/地球脈動 (Pulse of the Earth) in Mainland and Taiwan, as well as 天與地 (Heaven and Earth) in Hong Kong.
- Planet Earth: The Future was broadcasted as 天地人和 (Heaven, Earth and Mankind in Harmony) in Hong Kong.
- Interestingly, Planet Earth II has a different title on Hong Kong's TVB Jade, called 走過森林和原野 (Across Forests and Wilderness), instead of a numerical sequel like on all other Chinese networks (including Jade's sister channel TVB Pearl).
- The Practice had the title 律师本色/律師本色 (True Colors of Lawyers) in Mainland and Taiwan, and 法網豪情 (Lofty Sentiments on the Net of the Law) in Hong Kong.
- Schitt's Creek was titled 富家穷路/富家窮路 (Rich Family at the End of the Road), utilizing 穷/窮's double meaning of "end, limit" and "poor".
- Scrubs became 实习医生风云 (Medical Interns Turmoil) in Mainland and 醫院狂想曲 (Hospital Rhapsody) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Seinfeld became 宋飞传 (The Story of Seinfeld) in Mainland, 宋飛正傳 (The True Stories of Seinfeld) in Hong Kong, and 歡樂單身派對 (Happy Bachelor Party) in Taiwan.
- Sherlock has the title 神探夏洛克 (Sherlock the Godly Detective) in Mainland, 新世紀福爾摩斯 (New Century Sherlock Holmes) in Taiwan, and simply 新福爾摩斯 (New Sherlock Holmes) in Hong Kong.
- The Sopranos was titled 人在江湖 (Men in Jianghu) in Hong Kong and 黑道家族 (Mafia Family) in Mainland.
- Spin City became 政界小人物 (Political Nobody) in Hong Kong and 城市大贏家 (Winner of the City) in Taiwan.
- Succession is known as 继承之战/繼承之戰 (War of Succession).
- Supernatural was titled 超自然檔案 (Supernatural Files) in Taiwan, 邪恶力量 (Power of Evil) in Mainland, and 狙魔人 (Demon Snipers) in Hong Kong.
- That's So Raven became 天才魔女 (Genius Witch) in Taiwan and Mainland.
- The Thick of It became 幕后危机/幕後危機 (Crisis Behind the Scenes).
- Thunderbirds became known as 雷鳥神機隊 (Thunderbird Superhuman Fleet).
- Twin Peaks was titled 迷離劫 (Mysterious Calamity) in Hong Kong.
- Two and a Half Men became 宅男 1 pair 半 (A Pair and a Half Homebodies) in Hong Kong.
- Veep got the title 副人之仁 (The Benevolent Vice) in Taiwan.
- The West Wing became 白宫群英/白宮群英 (Elites of the White House) in Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as 白宮風雲 (White House Turmoil) in Taiwan.
- The Wire became known as 火线重案组/火線重案組 (Live Wire Major Crime Unit) in Mainland and Taiwan, often shortened to 火线/火線 (Live Wire). It was known as 警網 (Net of Enforcement) in Hong Kong. Other unofficial titles include 线人/線人 (Informant) and 监听风云/監聽風雲 (Monitor Turmoil).
- You (2018) is known as 安眠书店/安眠書店 (Sleep-Well Bookstore) in all regions.
- You're the Worst became 我爱上的人是奇葩 (My Love Is a Weirdo) in Mainland.
Music
- Blur was originally unofficially called 污点 (Smudge) in mainland China, until the cover of their 2015 album The Magic Whip made the literal translation 模糊 official.
- Elvis Presley is nicknamed “猫王/貓王” ("The Cat King"), which is a combination of his English nicknames "The Hillbilly Cat" and "The King of Rock and Roll". It's much more well-known in the Chinese-speaking world than his real name.
- EMI's Hong Kong subsidiary was called the completely unrelated 百代 (pronounced Bǎidài in Mandarin and baak3 doi6 in Cantonese), and straddles both this trope and Artifact Title. It was originally founded by the French in Shanghai as Pathé Records, and the Chinese name being a phonetic transcription. It was bought by Columbia Records in 1930, the latter later became EMI following a merger, and relocated to Hong Kong in 1952. The original Chinese name remained unchanged througout.
- Green Day becomes 年輕歲月 (Yonger Days) in Taiwan.
- In a rare case for a Western artist, all of Linkin Park's albums have official Chinese titles.
- Meteora is known as 流星圣殿 (Meteor Temple) in Mainland and 天空之城—美特拉 (Aerial City: Meteora) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Minutes to Midnight is known as 末日警钟 毁灭·新生/末日警鐘 毀滅·新生 (Doomsday Clock: Destruction, Rebirth) in all regions.
- Living Things is known as 生命 进化 原点/生命 進化 原點 (Life, Evolution, Origin) in all regions.
- The Hunting Party is known as 猎捕行动/獵捕行動 (Hunting Operation) in all regions.
- Maroon 5 is known as 魔力红/魔力紅 (Magical Maroon).
- My Chemical Romance is known as 我的另類羅曼史 (My Alternative Romance) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- *NSYNC is known as 超级男孩 (Superboys) in the mainland.
- Rammstein is known as 德国战车 (German War Wagon) in the mainland.
- Shoegazing was sometimes translated to "自赏/自賞" ("self-appreciation"), which originates from "The Scene That Celebrates Itself", a name coined by Melody Maker to describe the London and Thames Valley shoegaze scene.
- Soviet-Russian pop song "Подмосковные вечера" ("Moscow Nights") was given the Chinese title "莫斯科郊外的晚上" ("Night on the Moscow Outskirts").
Tabletop Games
- When Monopoly initially hit store shelves in Hong Kong in 1956, it was titled 財源廣進 (Wealth Be Upon Ye). It was renamed 大富翁 (Zillionaire) in 1973 and stayed that way ever since in Hong Kong and Mainland. In Taiwan, it's known as 地產大亨 (Real Estate Tycoon).
Theatre
- Dear Evan Hansen got the title 致埃文·汉森/致埃文·漢森 (To Evan Hansen) in all regions. The film adaptation has the same title in Mainland, while in Hong Kong and Taiwan it is changed to the literal 親愛的艾文·漢森.
- My Fair Lady was translated to 卖花女/賣花女 (Flower Seller Lady), which has a surprisingly similar Cantonese pronounciation (maai6 faa1 neoi5) to the English title. The film adaptation was re-titled 窈窕淑女 (Graceful Lady), which was closer to the English title in meaning.
- RENT was titled 吉屋出租 (Empty House for Rent) in all regions.
Video Games
- Advance Wars is known as 陆海空大战 (War at Land, Sea and Air) in Mainland under some publishers, and GBA大戰 (Game Boy Advance Wars) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- Alan Wake was titled 心灵杀手/心靈殺手 (Soul Killer).
- Bayonetta became 猎天使魔女 (Angel-Hunting Witch) in Mainland as well as 魔兵驚天錄 (Magic Soldier's Shocking Chronicles) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Bloodborne was released as 血源诅咒/血源詛咒 (Bloodborne Curse) in all regions.
- Breath of Fire in Chinese is known as 龙战士/龍戰士 (Dragon Warrior). This has carried over to licensed Chinese versions of the Comic-Book Adaptation of Breath of Fire IV as well.
- Call of Duty is known as 決勝時刻 (Moment of Showdown) in Taiwan.
- Castlevania is titled 恶魔城/惡魔城 (Demon Castle) in all regions, which is close to its Japanese title 悪魔城ドラキュラ (Demon Castle Dracula).
- Counter-Strike is known as 反恐精英 (Counter-Terror Elites) in Mainland and 絕對武力 (Absolute Force) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Condition Zero became 一觸即發 (Touch-and-Go) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Source became 次世代 (Next-Gen) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Even Global Offensive maps had undergone this treatment.
- Mirage is 荒漠迷城 (Mysterious Town in the Desert).
- Overpass is 死亡游乐园/死亡游樂園 (Playground of Death).
- Cache is 死城之谜/死城之謎 (Mystery of the Dead City).
- Nuke is 核子危机/核子危機 (Nuclear Crisis).
- Dust 2 is 炙热沙城II/炙熱沙城II (Scorching Desert Town II).
- Cobblestone is 古堡激战/古堡激戰 (Fierce Battle in the Castle).
- Vertigo is 殒命大厦/殞命大廈 (Skyscraper of the Perished).
- Cult of the Lamb is titled 咩咩启示录 (Baa-pocalypse) in the mainland, as well as 進擊羔羊傳說 (Legend of the Advancing Lamb) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- While Cyberpunk 2077 had literal titles in all regions (赛博朋克2077 in Mainland, 電馭叛客2077 in Taiwan), the Phantom of Libterty expansion pack was released as 往日之影 (Shadow of Yesterday) in Mainland.
- Dead Space is known as 絕命異次元 (Fatal Dimension) in both Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- Instead of directly transliterating the title in Diablo (most likely for censorship reasons), the series' Chinese title translates to 暗黑破坏神 (Dark God of Destruction) — which is a little misleading, since the titular antagonist holds the title of The Lord of Terror, while his brother Baal holds the title of The Lord of Destruction.
- Digimon is 数码宝贝/數碼寶貝 (Digital Treasures) in both Mainland and Taiwan, while it's 數碼暴龍 (Digital Tyrannosaurus) in Hong Kong.
- Doki Doki Literature Club! is titled the similar 心跳文學部/心动文学俱乐部 (Heartbeat Literature Club) in HK/TW and Mainland respectively, which makes sense since "doki doki" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for heartbeats.
- Don't Starve is titled 饥荒 (Famine) in mainland China.
- Doom is known as 毁灭战士/毀滅戰士 (Doom Warrior) in all regions.
- The Dragon Quest franchise is known as 勇者鬥惡龍/勇者斗恶龙 (Brave Warrior Battles Evil Dragon), which fits the first game well.
- EVE Online is known as 星战前夜/星戰前夜 (Eve of Interstellar War) in all regions.
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout became 糖豆人：终极淘汰赛/糖豆人：終極淘汰賽 (Jelly Bean Man: Ultimate Knockout). When it was renamed to just Fall Guys, the subtitle was simply dropped.
- Far Cry is known as 孤岛惊魂 (Island Thriller) in mainland China, which was kept despite the sequals moving away from the tropical island setting of the first game (well, until Far Cry 6, that is). It's known as 極地戰嚎 (Polar Battle Cry) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Poorly-made bootlegs of the earliest Final Fantasy games became 太空战士/太空戰士 (Space Warriors). Later games were translated literally (最终幻想/最終幻想).
- The Guilty Gear franchise is known as 聖騎士之戰 (Battle of the Paladins) in Taiwan.
- Half-Life was translated to 戰慄時空 (Thrilling Dimension) in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Mainland, it was either 半条命 (Half of a Life) or the more literal 半衰期, depending on the publisher.
- Half-Life: Blue Shift was released as 關鍵時刻 (Critical Moment) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and either 蓝色行动 (Operation Blue) or 蓝色沸点 (Blue Boiling Point) in Mainland.
- Halo is known as 最後一戰 (Last Battle) in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Halo Wars sub-series was known as 最後一戰：星環戰役 (Last Battle: Halo Wars).
- Horizon Zero Dawn was titled 地平線 黎明時分 (Horizon Dawn) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- The sequal Horizon Forbidden West received the title 地平线 西之绝境 (Horizon Desolate West) in Mainland.
- Just Dance is known as 舞力全开/舞力全開 (Full-Force Dancing) in all regions.
- Jet Set Radio had the title 喷射小子 (Jet/Spray Kids) in Mainland.
- Left 4 Dead is known as 求生之路 (Road to Survival) in Mainland and 惡靈勢力 (The Force of Evil Spirits) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Metroid is called 银河战士/銀河戰士 (Galactic Warrior) in all regions, but some official releases from Nintendo transliterate the original name (密特罗德/密特羅德), like in the mainland iQue release of Metroid Fusion and the non-mainland translations of Metroid Dread.
- The Need for Speed franchise is known as 极品飞车 (Exquisite Speedracing) in Mainland, as well as 極速快感 (Ecstasy of Speed) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: High Stakes was subtitled 致命追击/致命追擊 (Deadly Pursuit) in all regions.
- Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed was subtitled 保时捷之旅 (Porsche Tour) in Mainland, and 保時捷的榮耀 (Porsche Pride) in Hong Kong / Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Underground was subtitled 地下狂飙 (Underground Joyride) in Mainland, and 飆風再起 (Whirlwind Strikes Again) in Hong Kong / Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted was subtitled 无间追踪 (Close Pursuit) in Mainland, and 全民公敵 (Public Enemy) in Hong Kong / Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Carbon was subtitled 生死卡本谷 (Life and Death in Carbon Canyon) in Mainland, and 玩命山道 (Deadly Mountain Road) in Hong Kong / Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Undercover was subtitled 无间风云 (Avīci Turmoil), a shoutout to the Chinese title for Infernal Affairs (无间道). In Hong Kong and Taiwan it was subtitled 臥底風雲 (Undercover Turmoil).
- Need for Speed: Shift was subtitled 進化世代 (Evolution Generation) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Nitro was subtitled 爆衝王 (King of (Nitro) Boost) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was subtitled 热血追踪 (Hot-Blooded Pursuit) in Mainland, and 超热力追缉 (Super Hot Pursuit) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: The Run was subtitled 亡命狂飙 (Deadly Dash) in Mainland, and 亡命天涯 (To the End of the World) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) was subtitled 新全民公敵 (New Public Enemy) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed Rivals was subtitled 生存競速 (Race for Survival) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Need for Speed Payback was subtitled 血債血償 (Blood For Blood) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- And finally, the Black Editions were known as 黑名单版/黑名單版 (Blacklist Edition) in all regions.
- NieR: Automata became 尼尔：机械纪元 (Nier: Age of Androids) in Mainland.
- Outer Wilds was released as 星际拓荒/星際拓荒 (Interstellar Pioneer) in all markets.
- Overwatch was titled 守望先锋 (Overwatch Vanguards) in Mainland and 鬥陣特攻 (Special Attack Squad) in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
- The Persona series is known as 女神异闻录/女神異聞錄 (Strange Chronicles of the Goddess). This is actually a translation of the subtitle for the first game in Japan, which was known as 女神異聞録ペルソナ (Megami Ibunroku: Persona).
- PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is titled 绝地求生/絕地求生 (Desparate Survival) in all markets.
- Pokémon was previously translated to 神奇寶貝 (Magical Treasures) (Taiwan) and 寵物小精靈 (Pet Spirits) (Hong Kong). Nintendo unified the translation to （精靈）寶可夢/（精灵）宝可梦 ((Spirit) Treasures Can Dream). An unusual case since it's not only a translation, but also a phonetic transcription (the last three characters in Chinese is read as Bǎokěmèng).
- [PROTOTYPE] was released as 虐杀原形 (Brutality Prototype) in the mainland and 原型兵器 (Prototype Weapon) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Road Rash was known as 暴力摩托 (Violent Motorcycling) in all regions.
- Rust is titled 腐蚀/腐蝕 (Corrosion) in all regions.
- Sonic the Hedgehog is known as 音速小子 (Sonic Kid) in Taiwan and 超音鼠 (Supersonic Mouse) in Hong Kong.
- Snake is titled 贪吃蛇/貪食蛇 (Gluttonous Snake) in all regions
- Streets of Rage became 怒之铁拳/怒之鐵拳 (Iron Fists of Rage) in all regions, although the first two installments were alternately titled 格鬥三人組 (Fighting Trio) and 格鬥四人組 (Fighting Quartet) in Taiwan, named after the size of your team.
- Super Smash Bros. is known as 任天堂明星大乱斗/任天堂明星大亂鬥 (Nintendo Celebrity Brawl).
- Tetris is called 俄罗斯方块/俄羅斯方塊 (Russian Blocks).
- Valorant is titled 无畏契约 (Fearless Contract) in Mainland and 特戰英豪 (Special Attack Heroes) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- The Vietcong series was known as 丛林之狐 (Jungle Fox) in mainland China.
- The Wolfenstein franchise is titled 德军总部/德軍總部 (SS Headquarters) in all regions.
- Wolfenstein (2009) was subtitled 黑曜陰謀 (Black Sun Conspiracy) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- XCOM, specifically the remake Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2, is known as 幽浮 (UFO), coincidentally evoking the original British/European title.
- XIII was titled 杀手13/殺手13 (Killer 13) in all regions. In mainland China, it was also known as 代号13 (Codename 13).
- The Yakuza series is known as 人中之龍 (A Dragon Among People) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, which is similar enough to the Japanese title of 龍が如く (Like a Dragon), without being a direct translation.
Web Original
Web Video
- The Angry Video Game Nerd is nicknamed 喷神James (James the God of Criticizing) by Mainland Chinese fans, with "喷" here referring to the slang definition of "to angrily scold", though if one were to interpret it as usual meaning of "to spray", then he might be spraying "something" on the games he hates.
- ElectroBOOM became known as 作死物理 (Death-Seeking Physics) in Mainland.
- Life with Malamutes' official Bilibili (a Chinese video sharing site) account is called 幸福的阿拉斯猪 (Happy Alaskan Malapigs)
- Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time was 来自瑞典的暴力厨房 (Violent Kitchen from Sweden).
Western Animation
- Adventure Time was known as 探险活宝/探險活寶 (Venturing Goofballs) in Mainland and Taiwan.
- Arcane is titled 双城之战 (War of Two Cities) in Mainland.
- Camp Lazlo became 疯狂夏令营/瘋狂夏令營 (Crazy Summer Camp) in Taiwan and mainland China.
- Clarence was titled 我愛阿噗 (I Love A-Pu) in Taiwan, with the titular Clarence renamed A-Pu.
- Codename: Kids Next Door became 小孩大联盟/小孩大聯盟 (Great Alliance of Children).
- Code Lyoko became 虚幻勇士/虛幻勇士 (Virtual Warriors) in Mainland and Taiwan. The Hong Kong TVB dub called it 至Net奇兵 (The "Nettest" Warriors), with "Net" being a pun on the Cantonese word "叻" ("smart").
- Count Duckula was titled 怪鸭历险记 (Adventures of the Strange Duck) in mainland China and 殭屍奇鴨 (Mystic Zombie Duck) in Hong Kong.
- Dora the Explorer was titled 爱探险的朵拉/愛探險的Dora (Adventurous Dora) in all three regions, with mainland China transcribing Dora's name into Chinese, while Hong Kong and Taiwan kept her original English name.
- DuckTales (1987) became known as 唐老鸭俱乐部/唐老鴨俱樂部 (Donald Duck Club), a possible nod to The Mickey Mouse Club. However, the title doesn't make sense as the series doesn't revolve around Donald (who only appears in 9 of the 100 episodes), only his extended family.
- Family Guy becomes 蓋酷家庭 (Gaiku Family) in Taiwan and 恶搞之家 (Spoof Family) in Mainland.
- The Fairly OddParents! was titled 趣怪守護仙 (Odd Guardian Faires) in Hong Kong and Taiwan and 反斗家族 (Mischievous Family) in Mainland.
- The Flintstones became 摩登原始人 (Modern Primitives) in all regions.
- Futurama was titled 飞出个未来/飛出個未來 (Fly to the Future) in Mainland and Taiwan, and, in the same vein, 乃出個未來 in Hong Kong.
- The Garfield Show became 加菲猫的幸福生活 (Garfield's Happy Life) in mainland China and 大食懶加菲貓 (Garfield the Glutton) in Hong Kong.
- Gravity Falls became 神秘小镇大冒险/神秘小鎮大冒險 (Adventures in the Mysterious Town) in all three regions.
- Hailey's On It! became 海莉的任務清單 (Hailey's To-Do List) in Hong Kong and 海莉救世界 (Hailey Saves the World) in Taiwan.
- Kiff became 小松鼠的欢乐生活/小松鼠的歡樂生活 (The Happy Life of the Little Squirrel) in all regions.
- Let's Go Luna! became 露哪还有世界 (Where is the World?) in mainland China and 露娜環遊世界 (Luna Travels the World) in Hong Kong.
- Looney Tunes was translated/transcripted to 樂一通 (Joy-a-Bit), pronounced Lèyītōng.
- Tiny Toon Adventures became Q版小時候 (Q Version Childhood) in Hong Kong and 迷你乐一通/迷你樂一通 (Mini Looney Tunes) in Mainland and Taiwan.
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is titled 彩虹小馬 (Rainbow Ponies) in Taiwan.
- OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes was named OK K.O.!英雄讚 (OK K.O.! Praise Be the Heroes) in Taiwan.
- Over the Garden Wall became 謎樣森林 (Mysterious Forest) in Taiwan.
- Pat and Mat is officially titled 呆瓜兄弟 (Idiot Brothers) in Mainland. The English-dubbed educational DVDs had the title 大笨蛋与小傻瓜 (Big Idiot and Little Fool) when it was first imported.
- PAW Patrol is called 汪汪队立大功/汪汪隊立大功 (roughly Team Woof Makes Great Contributions) in all regions.
- Peppa Pig has the title 小猪佩奇 (Peggy Pig) in Mainland and either 粉紅豬小妹 (Little Pink Pig Girl) or 粉紅豬一家親 (Pink Pig Family) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Pingu was known as 企鹅家族/企鵝家族 (Penguin Family) in all regions.
- The Powerpuff Girls becomes 飞天小女警/飛天小女警 (Flying Little Policegirls).
- Ready Jet Go! is 太空小子杰特GO! (Space Boy Jet GO!) in mainland China and 太空小子Let’s Go! (Space Boy Let's Go!) in Hong Kong.
- Regular Show became known as 天兵公園 (Clueless Park) in Taiwan.
- Rugrats was titled 尿布一族 (The Diapered).
- Shaun the Sheep is known as 笑笑羊 (Joyous Sheep) in Taiwan and 超級無敵羊咩咩 (The Incredible Sheepy) in Hong Kong.
- Sofia the First becomes 小公主蘇菲亞 (Little Princess Sofia) in both Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Season 1 Episode 1, "Just One of the Princes", becomes "堅強的小公主" ("The Determined Little Princess") in Taiwan.
- Season 1 Episode 13, "Finding Clover", becomes "出走的朋友" ("Runaway Friend") in Hong Kong.
- Season 1 Episode 16, "Make Way for Miss Nettle", becomes "麗桃老師的詭計" ("Teacher Nettle'snote Deceitful Plan") in Hong Kong.
- Season 1 Episode 18, "Tea for Too Many", becomes "皇家茶會" ("Royal Tea Party") in Taiwan.
- Season 1 Episode 20, "Great Aunt-Venture", becomes "偉大的探險姑媽" ("Great Adventurer Aunt") in Taiwan. It's downplayed in that it is, in fact, clearly derived from the original title, but the pun in the Pun-Based Title doesn't translate in Chinese.
- Season 1 Episode 24, "Four's a Crowd", becomes "第四個朋友" ("The Fourth Friend") in Taiwan.
- Season 2 Episode 10, "Sofia the Second", becomes "兩個蘇菲亞" ("Two Sofias") in Taiwan.
- Season 2 Episode 12, "Princesses to the Rescue!", becomes "英勇公主團" ("The Heroic/Valiant Princess Team") in Taiwan.
- Season 2 Episode 28, "Sidekick Clio" becomes "好朋友克萊奧" ("Good Friend Clio") in Taiwan.
- Season 3 Episode 2, "Minimus is Missing", becomes "失蹤的飛馬" ("The Missing Flying Horse(s)") in Taiwan.
- Season 3 Episode 14, "The Secret Library: Olaf and the Tale of Miss Nettle" becomes "神秘的圖書館：雪寶幫幫忙" ("The Mysterious Library: Olaf [Comes to] Help") in Taiwan.
- SpongeBob SquarePants becomes 海绵宝宝/海綿寶寶 (Sponge Baby) in all regions, "寶寶/宝宝 (bǎobao)" being a translation/transcription of Bob.
- Steven Universe became 神臍小捲毛 (Divine Navel Little Curly) in Taiwan, the first two characters being a pun on "神奇" ("magical"), and 宇宙小子 (Cosmic Kid) in Mainland.
- Tom and Jerry is simply known as 猫和老鼠 (Cat and Mouse) in Mainland.
- VeggieTales has at least two Taiwanese Chinese dubs made in the 2000s, 蔬菜總動員 (Vegetable General Mobilization) and 蔬菜狂想曲 (Vegetable Rhapsody), with the former created by a media company called Chuanshen (傳神). 蔬菜總動員 takes a more liberal approach in translating the series as almost none of the episodes are literal translations of the original.
- "Where's God When I'm S-Scared?" becomes "恐懼終結者" ("Fear Ender")
- "God Wants Me to Forgive Them!?!" turns into "葡萄饒恕記" ("Story of the Grapes of Forgiveness")
- "Dave and the Giant Pickle" becomes "小兵立大功" ("Little Soldier Does Great Deeds")
- "Larry-Boy! and the Fib from Outer Space!" turns into "外星人危機" ("Alien Crisis")
- "Rack, Shack and Benny" becomes 火坑大逃亡 ("Great Escape from the Fire Pit")
- "Josh and the Big Wall!" turns into 沙漠先鋒隊 ("Desert Vanguards")
- Victor and Valentino becomes Hola! 維克與維諾 (Hola! Vic and Vino) in Taiwan.
- Wallace & Gromit is known as 超级无敌掌门狗/超級無敵掌門狗 (The Incredible Alpha Dog) in Hong Kong and Mainland, and 酷狗寶貝 (Cool Dog Baby) in Taiwan.
- Wander over Yonder becomes 宇宙小奇兵 (Little Cosmic Raiders) in Taiwan.
- What If…? (2021) is titled 無限可能：假如…？ (Endless Possibilities: What If...?) in Hong Kong.
- Wolves, Witches and Giants become 童話王國 (Fairtytale Kingdom) in Taiwan for its Fractured Fairy Tale setting.
Other
Brands
- German automotive brand BMW is called 宝马/寶馬 ("precious horse") in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland.
- The first KFC in mainland China opened in Beijing under the name 肯德基家鄉雞 ("Kentucky hometown chicken") in 1987. Sometime in the mid-90s, it was simplified to 肯德基.
- Swiss food and drink conglomerate Nestlé is known as 雀巢 ("bird's nest") in all regions, which is based on the logo.
- When it operated in mainland China, the pizza restaurant chain Papa John's was known as 棒！约翰 ("Great! John").
Places
- Due to their long history of Chinese immigration, a number of Southeast Asian cities have Chinese names completely unrelated to their native names. They are either colloquially referred to among the Chinese population or officially recognized by the government.
- Ayutthaya, Thailand is 大城 (Dacheng; "big city").
- Đà Nẵng, Vietnam is 岘港/峴港 (Xiangang; "steep hill port"), formerly 蚬港/蜆港 (pronounced the same; "clams port").
- Johor Bahru, Malaysia is 新山 (Xinshan; "new mountain").
- Palembang, Indonesia is 巨港 (Jugang; "giant port").
- Surabaya, Indonesia is 泗水 (Sishui; "Si river").
- Honolulu, Hawaii is called 檀香山 ("sandalwood mountain") by the local Chinese community, after its abundance of Haleakala sandalwood in the early days of Chinese immigration.
- The city of San Francisco is called 旧金山/舊金山 ("old gold mountain") in Mainland and Taiwan. This is related to the California Gold Rush, which drew in many Chinese immigrants who called the city 金山 ("gold mountain"). Not long after, the Victorian Gold Rush led the immigrants to another "gold mountain", this time in Melbourne, Australia. To differentiate the two "gold mountains", the prefix "old" was added to San Francisco, while Melbourne was dubbed "新金山" ("new gold mountain"). Although, while "old gold mountain" became the official Chinese name, "new gold mountain" gradually fell to the wayside and the latter city is now known as its transliteration "墨尔本/墨爾本".
