The Chinese word "泰坦尼克号" (Tài tǎn ní kè hào) for the "Titanic" is a formed through a multi-step process of phonetic transcription and semantic adaptation: first, the sounds of "Titanic" are closely approximated using characters chosen for their neutral or positive connotations ("泰" for grand/peace, "坦" for level, "尼" and "克" as common phonetic carriers), creating "泰坦尼克"; then, the Chinese classificatory suffix "号" (hào), meaning "ship" or "vessel," is appended to explicitly denote that the term refers to a named ship, following the standard Chinese convention for naming liners and vessels.