Good Characters Blog

The Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp. (SAIC), China’s second-largest carmaker, has announced it will call its first self-made car the Roewe. The name seems to be similar to “Rover,” the BMW brand SAIC tried to buy earlier in the year. The sale, however, went to Ford instead.

The official word is that the name Roewe is inspired not by the Rover, but by 创新 (innovation), 殊荣 (honor and glory), 威 (might, power, or prestige), 仪 (appear), and 四海 (four seas, or, the whole world). When written in Chinese characters, it is 荣威 (rong wei). Its literal meaning is glory and power. But according to the official explanation, this Wei should be translated as prestige.

The name might seem prestigious in Chinese, but in English, Roewe, or Rong Wei, sounds like Wrong Way. Is this a good name for a car you hope will take you to the right place?

Could this be another Chinese-to-English Translation Blunders?

Links: 

• Rong Wei? Funny Name, Serious Car From SAIC of China
• Rover becomes ‘Roewe’
• The Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp. Announces Rong Wei (Chinese)
  创新传塑经典，上汽自主品牌“荣威”全新亮相
• New Name Roewe Explained (Chinese)
  荣威 (Roewe) 品牌命名诠释
  This article explains the meaning behind the English Roewe and Chinese Rong Wei names. It says Roewe’s R is associated with “royal” and “-we” hints at we, us, representing unity and meaning “unity of will is an impregnable stronghold.” The English pronunciation of Roewe sounds like Rong Wei in Chinese; the Spanish pronunciation sounds like the Chinese term “ru yi,” meaning “as one wishes.”