The Chinese word **奥地利** (Àodìlì) for "Austria" is a **phonetic transliteration** formed by selecting characters whose sounds approximate the syllables of the foreign name. Specifically, it mimics the sound of "Austria," with 奥 (Ào) for "Aus-", 地 (dì) for "-tria" (though the "t" sound is softened), and 利 (lì) to complete the phonetic match. While primarily sound-based, the characters were also chosen for their neutral or positive connotations—利 means "benefit" or "sharp," and 地 means "land"—which together loosely suggest "the beneficial land of Ao," though the primary driving force is phonetic approximation rather than semantic meaning.