星巴克
Xīngbākè
星巴克 (Xīngbākè) is the Chinese name for the coffee shop chain Starbucks.
The term is used to refer to the global coffee company. While 星巴克 is the standard name, speakers sometimes use the playful nickname 星爸爸.
Meaning: chain of coffee shops (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is a phonetic transliteration. The character 星 means star, while 巴 and 克 are common phonetic syllables used to transliterate foreign names.
Which one should you use?
星巴克 is the official name of the brand, whereas 星爸爸 is a playful nickname that translates to 'Star Daddy'.
How do you pronounce it?
Xīngbākè
Did you know?
- While 星巴克 is the official name, the company is often used in China as a social status symbol, where carrying a cup is seen as a marker of 'white collar' professional identity.
- The nickname 星爸爸 (Xīng bàba) treats the brand as a personified character, turning the 'star' from the name into a 'Daddy'.
- The character 克 (kè) used to end the name often implies 'to overcome' or 'to restrain' in other Chinese contexts.
Examples in context
- 我们晚点在星爸爸见。Let's meet at Starbucks later.
- 這附近有一家星巴克。Zhè fùjìn yǒu yī jiā Xīngbākè.There is a Starbucks nearby.
- 我下午要去星巴克工作。Wǒ xiàwǔ yào qù Xīngbākè gōngzuò.I am going to Starbucks to work this afternoon.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding where to meet.
- 伟 Wei伟，我们在星巴克见面吧。Wěi, wǒmen zài Xīngbākè jiànmiàn ba.Wei, let's meet at Starbucks.
- 佳怡 Jiayi没问题，哪一家？Méi wèntí, nǎ yī jiā?No problem, which one?
- 伟 Wei就选公司对面那家。Jiù xuǎn gōngsī duìmiàn nà jiā.Let's pick the one opposite the office.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好的，佳怡，一会儿见。Hǎo de, Jiāyí, yīhuǐ'er jiàn.Okay, Jiayi, see you in a bit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “starbucks” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
