熊猫

熊猫 (xióngmāo) is the Chinese word for panda, specifically the giant panda (大熊猫 dà xióngmāo), China's national symbol and most famous animal. The compound literally reads 'bear cat' (熊 'bear' + 猫 'cat'), reflecting its bear-like body and cat-like face. The red panda is 小熊猫 (xiǎo xióngmāo). Two cultural notes English speakers should know.

First, the giant panda is treated as a national treasure (国宝 guóbǎo) and appears constantly in zoos, conservation news, and diplomacy ('panda diplomacy'). Second, in Taiwan and some older texts the order is sometimes reversed as 貓熊 (māoxióng); mainland standard is 熊猫. The word is everyday and neutral — children learn it early and adults use it without any change in register.