“宝” [bǎo] means preciousness and wealth. The traditional form of “宝” is “宝”, which is consisted of four parts. On top “宀” indicates the roof of a house. Below, “王” antiquely shared the same meaning with “玉” which is jade. Next to it “缶” means vessels used for alcohol reservation. In ancient times, if a family had a vessel for alcohol reservation, it meant the family was relatively rich. At the bottom “贝”, which is the simplified form of “贝”, means money because in ancient China, people used sea shells as currency to buy goods. The combination of these four parts, bring to “宝” which conveys the idea of a family who owns jade, money and a vessel for alcohol reservation. Thus, the meaning of “宝” has evolved to refer to rare and precious things and eventually to preciousness and wealth. In the Chinese name of P&G, “宝” conveys the superior quality of P&G products while conveying the brand message: P&G enriches your life.

Among the four tones of the Chinese language, the third tone is the only one that contains both falling and rising tones. When people pronounce it, it usually takes more time than the other three to pronounce. As “宝” [bǎo] is pronounced with the third tone it helps convey meaning of nobleness, respect and elegance. This is why it is possible to see it in many Chinese names of famous brands such as “C-bons” [丝宝 sībǎo], “Whisper” [护舒宝 hùshūbǎo], “OPEL” [欧宝 - ōu bǎo] and “PORTS” [宝姿 – zībǎo].

“洁” [jié] means cleanness and tidiness. Its traditional form is “洁”, which can be dissected into the following parts: “氵” “丰” “刀” “糸”. “氵” means water; “丰” was anciently used to indicate the container used to hold dead animals during ritual sacrifices; “刀” is the knife that is used to kill these animals; and “糸” refer the redness of animal blood. This character referred to the activity of washing away the blood stains left by the dead animal before seizing them into the ritual containers for the sacrifice. Later, the meaning evolved into cleanness and tidiness. In the Chinese name of P&G, “洁” accentuates the functionality of P&G products.

When pronounced, “洁”has the second tone, short and crispy without drawling sound. Therefore, its pronunciation leaves a clean impression. Thanks to its connotation, “洁”is usually used among cleaning brands. For example, tooth paste brands like Colgate [高露洁 gāolùjié] and Crest [佳洁士 jiājiéshì], eye drops brand of Bausch and Lomb Group, Runjie [润洁 rùnjié] and women product brand Ladycare [洁婷 jiétíng].