‘Kě lè’ is the Chinese word for ‘cola’, a carbonated soft drink. Literally, the characters mean ‘can be joyful’ (可 = can/able, 乐 = joy/happiness), reflecting an early marketing strategy that associated the drink with happiness and refreshment. Though the literal meaning sounds poetic, in modern usage it functions purely as a brand-generic term—much like ‘Kleenex’ for tissues—referring specifically to cola-flavored sodas, especially Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

The word is commonly used in everyday spoken and written Chinese, especially in restaurants, convenience stores, and casual conversations. It’s rarely used in formal writing unless discussing beverages or consumer culture. While ‘kě lè’ originally entered Chinese as a transliteration of ‘Coca-Cola’, it has since become fully nativized and is understood by all Mandarin speakers regardless of regional dialect background.