Name translation
Michael in Chinese
Michael is written 迈克尔 in Chinese, pronounced Mài kè ěr. This is the standard phonetic transliteration used in Chinese media, as in 迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan). The characters carry sound, not the Hebrew meaning “who is like God?”.
迈克尔
Mài kè ěr
Recorded in CC-CEDICT
Also written: 迈克
Mài is fourth tone (sharp and falling), kè is fourth tone, and ěr is third tone (dipping, then rising). A rough English approximation is "my kuh air", with each syllable clearly separated.
Sources: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
How this translation works
迈克尔 is a phonetic transliteration: the characters were selected for their sounds, mài, kè and ěr, not for their meanings. Read literally, 迈 suggests "to stride", 克 "to overcome" and 尔 is a literary word for "you" — together they say nothing about Michael, which comes from the Hebrew Mikha'el, usually translated as "who is like God?".
This is the standard form in Chinese media for well-known people: Michael Jordan is 迈克尔·乔丹 and Michael Jackson is 迈克尔·杰克逊. CC-CEDICT records 迈克尔 as the dictionary form, which is why this site treats it as the local dictionary answer rather than an AI guess.
The shorter 迈克 is also phonetic, but it is normally used for Mike rather than for the full name Michael. Chinese text follows the name a person actually goes by, so someone introduced as Mike will usually appear as 迈克.
迈克 Mài kè
The two-character form associated with Mike. It is also used as an informal shortening of Michael, but 迈克尔 remains the fuller, more formal transliteration.
Related names
Michael is related to Mike and Mickey. Mike is a short form with its own transliteration, 迈克 (Mài kè). Mickey is usually written 米奇 (Mǐ qí). Neither is interchangeable with the full name 迈克尔.
When to use this form
迈克尔 translates the name of a real person called Michael — in Chinese news, subtitles or introductions. If instead you want a new Chinese name chosen for its meaning, use the Chinese name generator.
Translate another name on the homepage translator, or create a new personal Chinese name.
Michael in Chinese: FAQ
How do you write Michael in Chinese?
Michael is written 迈克尔 in Chinese, pronounced Mài kè ěr. It is the standard phonetic transliteration recorded in dictionaries such as CC-CEDICT and used across Chinese media.
Is Michael 迈克尔 or 迈克?
迈克尔 is the full transliteration of Michael. 迈克 is the shorter two-character form normally used for Mike. If someone introduces themselves as Mike, Chinese text will usually use 迈克 rather than 迈克尔.
What does 迈克尔 mean?
Nothing literally — it is phonetic. 迈, 克 and 尔 were chosen for their sounds. Michael itself comes from a Hebrew name meaning "who is like God?", but that meaning is not carried by the Chinese characters.
How do you pronounce 迈克尔?
Mài kè ěr — fourth tone, fourth tone, then third tone, roughly "my kuh air". The first two syllables fall sharply; the last dips and rises. Use the hear-it button on this page to listen.