<p>I'm native, but not a botanist.</p>

<p>For official binomial names, they are always Latin. We do have Chinese translation for every genus and species (well, at least most of the species), but not used in binomial names. These kind of translation don't use special characters, and usually not translated by sound, but by meaning. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T16:42:35.897Z
2011-12-23T17:49:07.267Z
2011-12-23T17:49:07.267Z
fefe
<p>It seems they use both. On this site, <em>alternativehealing.com</em>, there is a <a href="http://alternativehealing.org/crossReferenceLatinChinese1.htm" rel="nofollow">long list</a> of botanical names, the characters and the pinyin as well. For completeness, I must say that in the Chinese wikipedia for "botanical names", <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%B8%E5%90%8D_%28%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%29" rel="nofollow">學名 (植物)</a>, it's stated that Latin must be used for classes, see the part titled "學名來源".</p>

<p>On the same site, in <a href="http://alternativehealing.org/chinese_herbs_dictionary.htm" rel="nofollow">this page</a>, there is even a dictionary; you can look up by the Latin name, the pinyin or the number of strokes of the characters (if you don't know the pinyin but you know the character).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T16:37:52.510Z
The site you give is a dictionary for Chinese herbs. In traditional Chinese medicine, we use a lot of herbs. In this dictionary one can check the binomial name for the these herbs. These traditional names are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and only some of them would used in botany. They are not official Chinese names for species in botany.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-09T09:39:18.797Z
@fefe The site mentioned Botanical names. The first link I provided brings to "Latin Botanical names to Chinese", so it still gives botanical names and the corresponding expressions. Unless it's a case of improper terminology, I think it's a valid link.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-16T12:54:35.447Z
I'm just saying that the Chinese names may not be the one used by botanists, but only used in Chinese medicine. Sometimes the names do not refer to a specie, but only a part of a plant. However, as I'm not very familiar with either subject, I cannot be quite sure.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-17T15:07:28.597Z
2011-12-17T15:07:28.597Z
Alenanno
<p>all sciences done in chinese speaking country/regions basically all use english when it comes to technical lingoes. For chinese medicine/herb communities, if they are scientific (e.g. research, done university work) it's just english. Those traditional chinese herb community use the traditional names, but they are basically ignorant of modern botanical science. (e.g. it's this group that believes in rhino horns or tiger penis as aphrodisiacs etc.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-22T18:31:37.880Z
2011-12-22T18:31:37.880Z
Xah Lee
<p>Yes, I think Chinese scientists use the internationally agreed &quot;latin&quot; binomial system of naming. For example the Chinese conifer discovered in 1940 s  was named by its (Chinese) describers Metasequoia  though it will have had a vernacular Chinese name</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-18T23:21:04.570Z
2024-12-18T23:21:04.570Z
B Livingstone
<p>How are Latin botanical names (e.g. Rattus rattus or Eucalyptus marginata) handled in Chinese? Does a Chinese botanist simply use Latin? Are there specific characters allocated for these words?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-18T02:20:02.103Z
perhaps a native speaker can shed more light on this: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%A6%E5%90%8D
jsj
<translation>
How are Latin botanical names handled in Chinese?
# How are Latin botanical names handled in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-17)

How are Latin botanical names (e.g. Rattus rattus or Eucalyptus marginata) handled in Chinese? Does a Chinese botanist simply use Latin? Are there specific characters allocated for these words?

**Tags:** translation
> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: perhaps a native speaker can shed more light on this: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%A6%E5%90%8D  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-12-22. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I'm native, but not a botanist.

For official binomial names, they are always Latin. We do have Chinese translation for every genus and species (well, at least most of the species), but not used in binomial names. These kind of translation don't use special characters, and usually not translated by sound, but by meaning.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2011-12-17. Score: 4

It seems they use both. On this site, *alternativehealing.com*, there is a [long list](http://alternativehealing.org/crossReferenceLatinChinese1.htm) of botanical names, the characters and the pinyin as well. For completeness, I must say that in the Chinese wikipedia for "botanical names", [學名 (植物)](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%B8%E5%90%8D_%28%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%29), it's stated that Latin must be used for classes, see the part titled "學名來源".

On the same site, in [this page](http://alternativehealing.org/chinese_herbs_dictionary.htm), there is even a dictionary; you can look up by the Latin name, the pinyin or the number of strokes of the characters (if you don't know the pinyin but you know the character).

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The site you give is a dictionary for Chinese herbs. In traditional Chinese medicine, we use a lot of herbs. In this dictionary one can check the binomial name for the these herbs. These traditional names are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and only some of them would used in botany. They are not official Chinese names for species in botany.  
> **username_2**: @fefe The site mentioned Botanical names. The first link I provided brings to "Latin Botanical names to Chinese", so it still gives botanical names and the corresponding expressions. Unless it's a case of improper terminology, I think it's a valid link.  
> **username_1**: I'm just saying that the Chinese names may not be the one used by botanists, but only used in Chinese medicine. Sometimes the names do not refer to a specie, but only a part of a plant. However, as I'm not very familiar with either subject, I cannot be quite sure.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2011-12-22. Score: 1

all sciences done in chinese speaking country/regions basically all use english when it comes to technical lingoes. For chinese medicine/herb communities, if they are scientific (e.g. research, done university work) it's just english. Those traditional chinese herb community use the traditional names, but they are basically ignorant of modern botanical science. (e.g. it's this group that believes in rhino horns or tiger penis as aphrodisiacs etc.)


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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-12-18. Score: 0

Yes, I think Chinese scientists use the internationally agreed "latin" binomial system of naming. For example the Chinese conifer discovered in 1940 s was named by its (Chinese) describers Metasequoia though it will have had a vernacular Chinese name


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