Dinosaurs in Chinese | 19 Names & Their Meanings

Q: What is T-Rex in Chinese?

Tyrannosaurus Rex in Chinese is 霸王龙 (bàwánglóng) 霸王 (bàwáng) means tyrant 龙 (lóng) means dragon

Q: What is Diplodocus in Chinese?

Diplodocus in Chinese is 梁龙 (liáng lóng). 梁 (liáng) -"beam" or a "bridge." 龙 (lóng) - dragon

Learn Chinese • By Marine Colliot • April 9, 2024

Exploring Dinosaurs’ Names in Mandarin

Dinosaur in Chinese is a surprisingly rare topic in the world of Chinese vocabulary articles, so we decided to fill in the gap with plenty of names and their meanings.

Discover dinos’ names like never before and let us know in the comments which one is your favourite!

But first things first, dinosaur in Chinese is:

恐龙 (kǒnglóng)

The character 恐 means “terrifying”, 龙 means “dragon” – which definitely makes sense to us!

Whether you’re a beginner student or simply curious about the Chinese language, this article will introduce you to some commonly known dinosaurs along with their Chinese characters, pinyin, and English translations.

Let’s get started!

Dinosaur in Chinese | Herbivores
Dinosaur in Chinese | Carnivores
Dinosaur in Chinese | Omnivores
Dinosaur in Chinese | Summary
Dinosaur in Chinese | FAQ’s

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Dinosaurs in Chinese | Herbivores

Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurus in Chinese is 甲龙 (jiǎlóng).

甲 (jiǎ) – means armor or shell
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “甲龙” can be translated as “Armoured Dragon” or “Ankylosaurus.”

Brachiosaurus

Brachiosaurus in Chinese is 长颈鹿龙 (chángjǐnglùlóng).

长颈鹿 (chángjǐnglù) – means giraffe
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “长颈鹿龙” can be translated as “Long-Necked Dragon”.

Diplodocus

Diplodocus in Chinese is 梁龙 (liáng lóng).

梁 (liáng) – means beam or a bridge
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “梁龙” can be translated as “Beam Dragon”.

Olorotitan

Olorotitan in Chinese 天鹅龙 (tiān é lóng).

天 (tiān) – means heaven or sky
鹅 (é) – means goose
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Note || 天鹅, the two characters together mean “swan”.

Putting it together, “天鹅龙” can be translated as “Swan Dragon” or “Titanic swan.”

Stegoceras

Stegoceras in Chinese is 铁甲龙 (tiě jiǎ lóng).

铁 (tiě) – means iron or metal
甲 (jiǎ) – means armour or shell
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, “铁甲龙” can be translated as “Iron Shell Dragon” or “Metal Armour Dragon”.

Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus in Chinese is 剑龙 (jiàn lóng).

剑 (jiàn) – means sword
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “剑龙” can be translated as “Sword Dragon” or “Sword-Like Dragon.”

Therizinosaurus

Therizinosaurus in Chinese is 腕龙 (wàn lóng).

腕 (wàn) – means wrist or forearm
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “腕龙” can be translated as “Wrist Dragon” or “Therizinosaurus.” It describes a dinosaur species known for its long forelimbs or “wrist-like” structures.

Triceratops

Triceratops in Chinese is 三角龙 (sānjiǎolóng).

三 (sān) – means number three
角 (jiǎo) – means horn or antler
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “三角龙” can be translated as “Three-Horned Dragon” or “Triceratops.”

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Dinosaurs in Chinese | Carnivores

Allosaurus

Allosaurus in Chinese is 暴龙 (bào lóng).

暴 (bào) – means violent
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

As you probably already noticed, both characters put together can be translated by “Violent Dragon”.

Dilophosaurus

Dilophosaurus in Chinese is 裂谷龙 (liègǔlóng).

裂谷 (liègǔ) – means rift valley
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “裂谷龙” can be translated as “Rift Valley Dragon”.

Elasmosaurus

Elasmosaurus in Chinese is 蛇颈龙 (shé jǐng lóng).

蛇 (shé) – means snake
颈 (jǐng) – means neck
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “蛇颈龙” can be translated as “Snake-Neck Dragon” or “Elasmosaurus.”

Pterosaur

Pterosaur in Chinese is 翼手龙 (yìshǒulóng).

翼手 (yìshǒu) – means winged hand
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex in Chinese is 霸王龙 (bàwánglóng).

霸王 (bàwáng) – means tyrant
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

A very straight-forward name directly inspired by the English name. A T-Rex in Chinese is a “Tyrant Dragon”.

Velociraptor

Velociraptor in Chinese is 伶盗龙 (líng dào lóng).

伶 (líng) – means clever or quick-witted
盗 (dào) – means thief or robber
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Putting it together, the name “伶盗龙” can be translated as “Clever Thief Dragon” or “Astute Robber Dragon”.

Body Parts in Chinese 👤 From Head to Toe

Identifying and naming correctly the parts of the body in Mandarin can come in handy when seeing the doctor, playing sports, going clothes shopping, and more.

Dinosaurs in Chinese | Omnivores

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx in Chinese is 始祖鸟 (shǐzǔniǎo).

始祖 (shǐzǔ) – means ancestor
鸟 (niǎo) – means bird

The name “始祖鸟” can be translated by “Ancient Bird”.

Confuciusornis

Confuciusornis in Chinese is 迷惑龙 (míhuò lóng).

迷惑 (míhuò) – means puzzled
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

Hadrosauridae

Hadrosauridae in Chinese is 鸭嘴龙 (yāzuǐlóng)

鸭 (yā) – means duck
嘴 (zuǐ) – means beak or bill
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

The name “鸭嘴龙” can be translated as “Duck-Billed Dragon” or “Hadrosaurus.”

Plesiosaurus

Plesiosaurus in Chinese is 蛇脖龙 (shé bó lóng).

蛇 (shé) – means snake
脖 (bó) – means neck
龙 (lóng) – means dragon

The name “蛇脖龙” can be translated as “Snake Neck Dragon”

Sinosauropteryx

Sinosauropteryx in Chinese is 中华龙鸟 (zhōnghuá lóngniǎo).

中华 (zhōnghuá) – refers to China or Chinese
龙 (lóng) – means dragon
鸟 (niǎo) – means bird

Putting it together, the name “中华龙鸟” can be translated as “Chinese Dragon Bird”.

Dinosaurs in Chinese | Summary

Now that we’ve explored some dinosaur names in Mandarin, let’s review the key vocabulary terms we’ve covered:

English	Characters	Pinyin
Allosaurus	暴龙	bào lóng
Ankylosaurus	甲龙	jiǎlóng
Archaeopteryx	始祖鸟	shǐzǔniǎo
Brachiosaurus	长颈鹿龙	chángjǐnglùlóng
Confuciusornis	迷惑龙	míhuò lóng
Dilophosaurus	裂谷龙	liègǔlóng
Diplodocus	梁龙	liáng lóng
Elasmosaurus	蛇颈龙	shé jǐng lóng
Hadrosauridae	鸭嘴龙	yāzuǐlóng
Olorotitan	天鹅龙	tiān é lóng
Plesiosaurus	蛇脖龙	shé bó lóng
Pterosaur	翼手龙	yìshǒulóng
Sinosauropteryx	中华龙鸟	zhōnghuá lóngniǎo
Stegoceras	铁甲龙	tiě jiǎ lóng
Stegosaurus	剑龙	jiàn lóng
Therizinosaurus	腕龙	wàn lóng
Triceratops	三角龙	sānjiǎolóng
Tyrannosaurus Rex	霸王龙	bàwánglóng
Velociraptor	伶盗龙	líng dào lóng

Let us know in the comments which dinosaur is your favourite 🦕

Dinosaurs in Chinese || FAQs

How do you say Dinosaur in Chinese?

Dinosaurs are called “恐龙” (kǒnglóng) in Chinese, which translates to “terrifying dragons.”

Are there any famous dinosaur fossils discovered in China?

Yes, China is home to several famous dinosaur fossils. One notable example is the “Yutyrannus,” a large feathered dinosaur discovered in northeastern China. Another is the “Sinosauropteryx,” one of the earliest-known feathered dinosaurs.

Are there any dinosaur-themed parks or museums in China?

Yes, China has several dinosaur-themed parks and museums.

One notable example is the Zigong Dinosaur Museum (自贡恐龙博物馆) in Sichuan Province, known for its extensive collection of dinosaur fossils.

The Beijing Museum of Natural History and the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature are also renowned for their dinosaur exhibits.

What is T-Rex in Chinese?

Tyrannosaurus Rex in Chinese is 霸王龙 (bàwánglóng)

霸王 (bàwáng) means tyrant

龙 (lóng) means dragon

What is Diplodocus in Chinese?

Diplodocus in Chinese is 梁龙 (liáng lóng).

梁 (liáng) -“beam” or a “bridge.”

龙 (lóng) – dragon

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