品牌 (pǐnpái) means 'brand' — the name, symbol, or design that identifies a company’s products or services and distinguishes them from competitors. The character 品 (pǐn) originally means 'item', 'quality', or 'category', while 牌 (pái) means 'plaque', 'sign', or 'card'; together, they evoke the idea of a recognized marker or label representing reputation and consistency. Brands are central to modern consumer culture in China, appearing on everything from electronics and clothing to food and cosmetics.

In everyday use, 品牌 often appears in contexts like marketing, shopping, and product comparisons. It can refer to well-known international names (e.g., Apple, Nike) or domestic Chinese brands (e.g., Huawei, Li-Ning). Unlike English, 品牌 is almost always used as a noun and rarely functions attributively without modification — you’d say 品牌产品 (brand product), not just *品牌手机 for 'brand phone'.