The word "和谐号" is formed by combining the characters "和" (hé) meaning "harmony" or "peace", and "谐" (xié) meaning "in accord" or "harmonious", together creating the compound "和谐" which signifies "harmony". This is then appended with "号" (hào) meaning "designation" or "series", resulting in a term that literally translates to "Harmony Series", used specifically as the name for China's high-speed train fleet.