北極熊 / 北极熊
Běijíxióng
The English phrase 'polar bear' is 北極熊 / 北极熊 in Chinese. If unsure, use 北極熊 / 北极熊 (Běijíxióng). Wiktionary also lists 白熊 (báixióng).
Meaning: Ursus maritimus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 北極熊 / 北极熊 | Běijíxióng |
| 白熊 | báixióng |
The term refers to the species Ursus maritimus.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 北極熊 / 北极熊 literally translates to 'North Pole bear'.
Which one should you use?
北極熊 / 北极熊 is the standard and precise name for the species, while 白熊 is a more descriptive and colloquial way to refer to them.
How do you pronounce it?
Běijíxióng
Did you know?
- The term 北極熊 is a linguistic sibling to the Japanese 北極熊 and Korean 북극곰, as all three languages used the same Chinese characters to name the animal.
- The character 北 in 北極熊 means 'north', but when used as a verb in other contexts, it can mean 'to be defeated' or 'to flee'.
- In Chinese, the word for bear 熊 is also used as a slang term for someone who is clumsy or foolish.
Examples in context
- 你知道吗？北极熊在北极生活。Did you know that polar bears live in the Arctic?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “polar bear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 北極熊, 白熊, CC BY-SA 4.0.
