The Chinese word 匈牙利 (Xiōngyálì) for "Hungary" is a phonetically-based transliteration formed through a process called xúnshēng, where existing Chinese characters are selected solely for their approximate sound value to mimic the pronunciation of the foreign name, in this case, "Hungary" or its Latin root Hungaria, while the individual meanings of the characters (e.g., 匈 "chest; ancient tribe", 牙 "tooth", 利 "sharp, benefit") are typically disregarded, collectively serving as a neutral phonetic label for the country.