Name translation
Tom in Chinese
汤姆
Tāng mǔ
Tāng is first tone (high and level) and mǔ is third tone (falling, then rising). A rough English approximation is "tahng moo".
Sources: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
How this translation works
汤姆 is a phonetic transliteration: the characters were chosen because their sounds, tāng and mǔ, approximate "Tom". It is not a meaning-based new name, and the characters do not describe Tom's etymology (Tom is a short form of Thomas, from an Aramaic word meaning "twin"). Read literally, 汤 means "soup" and 姆 appears mainly in transliterations — neither says anything about a person named Tom.
This sound-over-meaning approach is the standard way foreign personal names are written in Chinese, and 汤姆 is the established form recorded in both CC-CEDICT and Wikidata. It is the spelling you will see for figures like Tom Sawyer (汤姆·索亚) or Tom Cruise (汤姆·克鲁斯) in Chinese media.
Related names
Tom is related to Thomas. Thomas is a different, more formal name with its own Chinese transliteration, 托马斯 (Tuō mǎ sī). Use 汤姆 only for someone who actually goes by Tom — the two are related but not interchangeable.
When to use this form
汤姆 translates an existing name — it is what a real Tom would be called in Chinese text, subtitles or introductions. If instead you want to create a new Chinese name for yourself, that is a different task: use the Chinese name generator, which suggests names chosen for their meaning and feel.
Translate another name on the homepage translator, or create a new personal Chinese name.
Tom in Chinese: FAQ
How do you write Tom in Chinese?
Tom is written 汤姆 in Chinese, pronounced Tāng mǔ. It is the standard transliteration found in dictionaries such as CC-CEDICT and used across Chinese media for people named Tom.
Is 汤姆 the same as Thomas?
No. 汤姆 transliterates Tom, the short form. The formal name Thomas has its own transliteration, 托马斯 (Tuō mǎ sī). If someone's official name is Thomas but they go by Tom, Chinese text will usually follow the name they actually use.
What does 汤姆 mean?
Nothing — and that is normal. 汤姆 is phonetic: the characters were picked for their sounds, not their meanings. 汤 literally means "soup" and 姆 is used mostly in transliterations, but together they simply stand for the sound "Tom".
How do you pronounce 汤姆?
Tāng mǔ — first tone then third tone, roughly "tahng moo". The first syllable stays high and level; the second dips and rises. Use the hear-it button on this page to listen.