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The Semiotic Construction of “Cha”: Cultural Identity in the English Naming of Chinese New-Style Tea Brands

Author(s)

Qian Zhang

Affiliation(s)

Xi’an Fanyi University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China

Abstract

As Chinese new-style tea brands expand into international markets, English brand naming has become an important means of cultural representation. This study examines how cha, the romanized form of the Chinese word for tea, functions as a culturally marked semiotic resource in the English naming and brand discourse of Chinese tea brands. Drawing on social semiotics and Stuart Hall’s perspectives on cultural identity and representation, the study compares three brands featuring cha in their English names with HEYTEA as a contrastive case. The findings show that cha does not independently convey Chinese cultural identity. Its cultural meaning emerges through its association with linguistic, visual, geographical, and cultural resources. Compared with tea, cha tends to be more culturally marked in English-language branding, whereas tea offers greater immediate lexical accessibility. Cultural markedness alone does not determine meaning; the significance of cha develops through its connection with the broader brand narrative. International branding thus involves the coordination of multiple semiotic resources in the construction and communication of cultural meanings.

Keywords

Cha; Chinese New-Style Tea; Social Semiotics; Cultural Identity.

References

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