The Chinese word for Sweden, 瑞典 (Ruìdiǎn), is a phonetic translation formed through a process of transcribing the sounds of the country's name into meaningful Chinese characters. It primarily approximates the sound of "Swe-" in "Sweden" with 瑞 (ruì), meaning "auspicious", and the "-den" with 典 (diǎn), meaning "canon" or "standard". This method creates a term that is not merely a sound-for-sound copy but a deliberate selection of characters with positive and dignified connotations, reflecting a traditional practice in Chinese for naming foreign places.