品牌

The Chinese word 品牌 (pǐnpái) for "brand" is composed of two characters: 品 (pǐn), meaning "quality" or "grade", and 牌 (pái), meaning "sign" or "mark". Together, these characters convey the idea of a distinguishing mark or symbol that indicates the quality or origin of a product.The character 品 (pǐn) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally used to refer to the quality of food or drink, but over time its meaning expanded to include the quality of other goods and services. The character 牌 (pái) also has a long history, dating back to the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046-256 BC). It was originally used to refer to a wooden tablet or plaque that was used as a sign or marker. Over time, its meaning expanded to include the idea of a brand or trademark.The combination of these two characters, 品 (pǐn) and 牌 (pái), to form the word 品牌 (pǐnpái) is a relatively recent development. The term began to be used in the early 20th century, as China began to adopt Western marketing practices. Today, 品牌 (pǐnpái) is the standard Chinese word for "brand", and it is used in a wide variety of contexts, from product packaging to advertising to marketing research.