Tsingtao
/ˌtʃɪŋˈtaʊ/noun
Tsingtao is the historical English and German romanization of Qingdao, a Chinese coastal city and the name of a beer brand founded there.
Did you know?Tsingtao preserves the older German-influenced spelling “Tsingtau,” created when Qingdao was a German concession from 1898 to 1914.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
青
“A color term covering blue, green, or blue-green shades”
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
島
“Island”
19th Century
Mandarin Chinese
青島 (Qīngdǎo)
“Green or blue-green island; the name of the coastal settlement”
1898–1914
German
Tsingtau
“German colonial romanization of Qingdao during the German lease of the territory”
Early 20th Century
English
Tsingtao
“English spelling used for the city and, later, its exported beer”
Modern English
English
Tsingtao
“A conventional name for Qingdao and the beer brand associated with the city”