兵馬俑 / 兵马俑
bīngmǎyǒng
The English phrase 'terracotta army' is translated into Chinese as 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑 (bīngmǎyǒng). If unsure, use 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑. Wiktionary also lists 秦俑 (Qínyǒng).
Meaning: the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of the First Emperor of China (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑 | bīngmǎyǒng |
| 秦俑 | Qínyǒng |
The term 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑 is the standard name used in both academic and casual contexts to refer to the Terracotta Army.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 兵 (soldier), 馬 (horse) and 俑 (terracotta figurine).
Which one should you use?
While 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑 (bīngmǎyǒng) specifically refers to the soldiers and horses, 秦俑 (Qínyǒng) is a more concise way to refer to the Qin terracotta figures in general.
How do you pronounce it?
bīngmǎyǒng
Did you know?
- The name 秦俑 (Qínyǒng) links the figures to the 秦 (Qín) dynasty, which is the same character used to name the country 'China' in English.
- While the English name uses the word 'army', the Chinese name 兵馬俑 / 兵马俑 translates more accurately to 'soldier horse figurines'. It describes the physical nature of the objects rather than the military unit they represent.
- While 兵馬俑 (bīngmǎyǒng) is the common name, the word 兵 (bīng) can refer to both the 'soldiers' and the 'weapons' they carry.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “terracotta army” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
