<p>The difference is legal. </p>

<p>有限公司 is a limited liability company (LLC), usually a smaller company.</p>

<p>股份有限公司 is a public limited company/private company limited by shares (PLC), usually larger companies whose shares (股份) are traded on the stock exchange. </p>

<p>PS. I am not quite sure what are the equivalent of these two forms in your country (Common law, I suppose). In the Roman law based German and Central European law the first would be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesellschaft_mit_beschr%C3%A4nkter_Haftung">GmbH</a>, latter would be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktiengesellschaft">AG</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-11T12:37:03.797Z
2014-11-11T12:47:55.023Z
2014-11-11T12:47:55.023Z
imrek
<p>I am currently making a company database of different Chinese firms and as it is I have to give the English versions of the names translated from traditional Chinese. So I have been wondering about the precise translation of those two  股份有限公司 and 有限公司. As far as I see it any one of those two can be translated as Co. Ltd but if that's so where does 股份 goes? I know the meaning of all of the characters and yet I can't place it all too well. Can you give me some clarification on the matter? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-11T15:36:44.593Z
It is more a legal question than a language question...
Patrick
<translation>
Differences between 股份有限公司 and 有限公司
# Differences between 股份有限公司 and 有限公司

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-11)

I am currently making a company database of different Chinese firms and as it is I have to give the English versions of the names translated from traditional Chinese. So I have been wondering about the precise translation of those two 股份有限公司 and 有限公司. As far as I see it any one of those two can be translated as Co. Ltd but if that's so where does 股份 goes? I know the meaning of all of the characters and yet I can't place it all too well. Can you give me some clarification on the matter?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It is more a legal question than a language question...  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-11-11. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

The difference is legal.

有限公司 is a limited liability company (LLC), usually a smaller company.

股份有限公司 is a public limited company/private company limited by shares (PLC), usually larger companies whose shares (股份) are traded on the stock exchange.

PS. I am not quite sure what are the equivalent of these two forms in your country (Common law, I suppose). In the Roman law based German and Central European law the first would be [GmbH](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesellschaft_mit_beschr%C3%A4nkter_Haftung), latter would be [AG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktiengesellschaft).


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