抖音
Dǒuyīn
In Chinese, the name of the app TikTok is 抖音 (Dǒuyīn). Wiktionary also lists 洋抖 (Yángdǒu).
Meaning: app (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 抖音 | Dǒuyīn |
| 洋抖 | Yángdǒu |
The term refers to the video-sharing app. Depending on which version of the app you are discussing, you will choose between different terms.
What does it mean word for word?
The name 抖音 literally translates to 'shaking sound' or 'vibration', where dou means shake or vibrate and yin means sound.
Which one should you use?
Use 抖音 (Dǒuyīn) when referring to the version of the app used in mainland China. Use the colloquial term 洋抖 (Yángdǒu) to distinguish the international version of TikTok from the Chinese version.
How do you pronounce it?
Dǒuyīn
Did you know?
- Because 抖音 and TikTok are separate apps with different algorithms, a video that is viral on 抖音 will not automatically appear on TikTok.
- The colloquial term 洋抖 (Yángdǒu) uses the character 洋, which literally means 'ocean' but is commonly used as a prefix to mean 'foreign' or 'Western'.
- Users in China often use the phrase 刷抖音 to describe using the app, where 刷 means 'to brush' or 'to swipe'.
Examples in context
- 汤姆为抖音录制视频。Tom makes TikTok videos.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 抖音 when describing making videos.Tatoeba #9535845 by iiujik, translation #9446610 by DJ_Saidez
- 我昨天在抖音（短视频）上看到一个有趣的视频Yesterday, I saw an interesting video on TikTok (short video).
- 我正在刷抖音。Wǒ zhèngzài shuā Dǒuyīn.I am scrolling through Douyin.
- 他在抖音上很有名。Tā zài Dǒuyīn shàng hěn yǒumíng.He is very famous on Douyin.
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting about mobile apps in a cafe.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你最近常看抖音吗？Nǐ zuìjìn cháng kàn Dǒuyīn ma?Do you watch Douyin often lately?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，我每天都看。Shì de, wǒ měitiān dōu kàn.Yes, I watch it every day.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，你喜欢看什么类型的视频？Zǐhán, nǐ xǐhuān kàn shénme lèixíng de shìpín?Zihan, what kind of videos do you like to watch?
- 梓涵 Zihan我比较喜欢看美食视频。Wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuān kàn měishí shìpín.I prefer watching food videos.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tiktok” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
