巧克力

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word for chocolate, 巧克力 (qīkèlì), is derived from the Nahuatl word xocolātl, which was used by the Aztecs to refer to a drink made from roasted cacao beans. The word xocolātl is composed of two parts: xocolli, meaning "bitter", and atl, meaning "water". The Spanish conquistadors adopted the word xocolātl and brought it to Europe, where it was eventually adopted into other languages, including Chinese. The Chinese word 巧克力 is a transliteration of the Spanish word chocolate, which is itself a transliteration of the Nahuatl word xocolātl. The Chinese characters 巧克力 are pronounced qīkèlì, which is a close approximation of the Spanish pronunciation of chocolate.