<p><strong>It is okay to say <code>Macbook Air</code> in between Chinese</strong>, or you can say <code>苹果的Air电脑</code> or <code>苹果的Air系列电脑</code> if you must. More info:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>It seems that mainland Chinese are adapting <code>电脑</code>, but I want to point out both <code>電腦</code>(traditional Chinese) and <code>计算机</code>(simplified Chinese) means "computer". <code>電腦</code> is used everywhere while <code>计算机</code> is only for formal use in mainland China. (<code>計算機</code>/<code>计算机</code> can mean "calculator" in other scenario, so <code>电子计算机</code>/<code>电脑</code> is used to differentiate.) (<a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/2358.htm" rel="nofollow">referecne</a>)</p></li>
<li><p><code>Macintosh</code> = <code>麦金塔电脑</code> or simply <code>麦金塔</code> in Mainland China. In HK, we called it <code>Mac機</code>. (<a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/56086.htm?fromtitle=Macintosh&amp;fromid=8310244&amp;type=syn" rel="nofollow">reference</a>) <code>苹果的电脑</code> only means <code>computer from Apple</code>.</p></li>
<li><p>Japanese have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana" rel="nofollow">Katakana</a> , but Chinese don't.</p></li>
<li><p>As you may know, in Chinese we say a <code>laptop</code>/<code>notebook computer</code> <code>筆記本電腦</code>/<code>笔记本电脑</code> but we do not translate the <code>Air</code> into <code>空</code></p></li>
<li><p>I don't know any nicknames for Macbook Air yet like <code>iphone</code> <code>爱疯</code> though.</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-20T13:48:17.220Z
As to #2, your reference link is on `MAC address`, which is not `Macintosh`. And my question is, which one is better between the English and Chinese when it comes to describing those terms? Most Japanese don't use Japanese words in this situation, despite the fact that it is possible to use katakana to mean it.
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-20T20:53:37.850Z
Corrected the link. I should have checked :P For MAC you can use `麦金塔`/`Mac機`, but for other Apple products English would be better as there is no official Chinese names for them.
Pete C.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-21T03:57:45.617Z
we call calculator 计算器，computer 计算机 formally,电脑 orally,macbook 苹果笔记本,Macintosh computer 苹果电脑。no 苹果计算机，that‘s weird to combine formal and informal word together.
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-22T11:20:51.747Z
Edited. Every day you learn something new. Thanks Jacob :)
Pete C.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-20T11:05:34.900Z
2014-09-22T12:10:15.570Z
2014-09-22T12:10:15.570Z
Pete C.
<p>In general,we say XXX系列 such as “MacBook 家族的air系列”
but in most cases,for digital products ，we straight call it in English or transliterate it.For example,we some people call or write iphone 爱疯 </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-20T10:22:20.553Z
2014-09-20T10:22:20.553Z
piupiu
<p>In Chinese, <code>Macintosh</code> is described as <code>苹果的电脑</code>, and MacBook series are described as <code>苹果的笔记本电脑</code>. However, I don't know how to differentiate MacBook Air from MacBook Pro.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.apple.com/cn/macbook-pro/" rel="nofollow">Apple's Chinese page</a> doesn't describe it, either; it's just spelled as <code>MacBook Pro</code>.</p>

<p>Also, even if you can spell it in Chinese, such as <code>苹果的笔记本电脑空</code> (just the illustration purpose's only), should I spell it just as <code>MacBook Air</code>? In Japanese, when you type it in Japanese instead of <code>MacBook Air</code>, you give an impression that you're a dumb, and hence the most people just describe it as what Apple does.</p>

<p>So which one should I take in Chinese?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-21T15:56:24.463Z
MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will work as is.
Mou某
<word><proper-nouns><spelling><technology>
How to differentiate MacBook Air from MacBook Pro in Chinese?
# How to differentiate MacBook Air from MacBook Pro in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-20)

In Chinese, `Macintosh` is described as `苹果的电脑`, and MacBook series are described as `苹果的笔记本电脑`. However, I don't know how to differentiate MacBook Air from MacBook Pro.

[Apple's Chinese page](http://www.apple.com/cn/macbook-pro/) doesn't describe it, either; it's just spelled as `MacBook Pro`.

Also, even if you can spell it in Chinese, such as `苹果的笔记本电脑空` (just the illustration purpose's only), should I spell it just as `MacBook Air`? In Japanese, when you type it in Japanese instead of `MacBook Air`, you give an impression that you're a dumb, and hence the most people just describe it as what Apple does.

So which one should I take in Chinese?

**Tags:** word, proper-nouns, spelling, technology
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will work as is.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-09-20. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

**It is okay to say `Macbook Air` in between Chinese**, or you can say `苹果的Air电脑` or `苹果的Air系列电脑` if you must. More info:

1. It seems that mainland Chinese are adapting `电脑`, but I want to point out both `電腦`(traditional Chinese) and `计算机`(simplified Chinese) means "computer". `電腦` is used everywhere while `计算机` is only for formal use in mainland China. (`計算機`/`计算机` can mean "calculator" in other scenario, so `电子计算机`/`电脑` is used to differentiate.) ([referecne](http://baike.baidu.com/view/2358.htm))
2. `Macintosh` = `麦金塔电脑` or simply `麦金塔` in Mainland China. In HK, we called it `Mac機`. ([reference](http://baike.baidu.com/view/56086.htm?fromtitle=Macintosh&fromid=8310244&type=syn)) `苹果的电脑` only means `computer from Apple`.
3. Japanese have [Katakana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana) , but Chinese don't.
4. As you may know, in Chinese we say a `laptop`/`notebook computer` `筆記本電腦`/`笔记本电脑` but we do not translate the `Air` into `空`
5. I don't know any nicknames for Macbook Air yet like `iphone` `爱疯` though.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: As to #2, your reference link is on `MAC address`, which is not `Macintosh`. And my question is, which one is better between the English and Chinese when it comes to describing those terms? Most Japanese don't use Japanese words in this situation, despite the fact that it is possible to use katakana to mean it.  
> **username_2**: Corrected the link. I should have checked :P For MAC you can use `麦金塔`/`Mac機`, but for other Apple products English would be better as there is no official Chinese names for them.  
> **username_3**: we call calculator 计算器，computer 计算机 formally,电脑 orally,macbook 苹果笔记本,Macintosh computer 苹果电脑。no 苹果计算机，that‘s weird to combine formal and informal word together.  
> **username_2**: Edited. Every day you learn something new. Thanks Jacob :)  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-20. Score: 0

In general,we say XXX系列 such as “MacBook 家族的air系列”
but in most cases,for digital products ，we straight call it in English or transliterate it.For example,we some people call or write iphone 爱疯


---

