The Chinese word for Pluto, 冥王星 (Míngwángxīng), is a direct semantic translation of its Western name, which is derived from the Roman god of the underworld. It is formed by combining three characters: 冥 (míng), meaning "dark" or "underworld"; 王 (wáng), meaning "king"; and 星 (xīng), meaning "star" or "celestial body." Thus, the compound literally translates to "Underworld King Star," perfectly mirroring the association of the distant, cold planet with the mythological ruler of the dead.