Questions tagged [names]
Questions related to Chinese names.
101
questions
1
vote
0answers
68 views
Are female given names more likely to have repeated characters?
Many (but not all) Chinese names comprise of three characters: beginning with a one-hanzi surname 姓 and a two-hanzi given name 名字. In some names, the two hanzi in the 名字 are the same.
Among the ...
0
votes
3answers
65 views
At what age is it inappropriate to call people 小李, 小王, 小刘, etc.? And is it different for males and females?
It's common for children to be referred to as 小李, 小王, 小刘, etc. in Chinese (basically 小[姓], where [姓] is the family name).
I expect there is a certain age where it's no longer appropriate to call ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
Is 憨豆先生 (Mr. Bean) commonly used to refer to Rowan Atkinson even when he's playing other characters, or when he's not acting?
Among the characters Rowan Atkinson has portrayed on TV and in movies is Mr. Bean, 憨豆先生 in Chinese. My impression is that people always call him 憨豆先生 (Mr. Bean) regardless of what role he is playing, ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
Is 节列俄阿木 a name?
In Xi Jinping's 2018/2019 New Year Address there is this phrase:
我看望了彝族村民吉好也求、节列俄阿木两家人
The official (?) translation is only vague:
"I visited the families of two villagers from the Yi people"
I ...
2
votes
1answer
121 views
Does it sound like a natural name?
Since I am a westerner and I study Chinese, I am currently undergoing the hard task of choosing a Chinese name for myself. The last thing I want to do is to simply translate my Italian name in Chinese....
0
votes
1answer
82 views
How do you pronounce the name “Liqun”
The title already describes what i would like to know.
How to pronounce the Chinese name Liqun.
2
votes
1answer
45 views
Conventions for indicating a surname
When I write to other Americans about Chinese colleagues the name order is often confusing. As a made up example, (so as not to use a real person's name) if someone's name is Chiao Chien then even ...
0
votes
1answer
95 views
How do names translate between Mandarin and Cantonese?
Firstly I assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that there are always multiple ways to say a Chinese name because the pronunciation depends on the dialect being spoken. I'm curious about how this works.
...
0
votes
3answers
71 views
Are there distinctions between the various terms for “Confucius” (孔子, 孔丘, 仲尼)?
There seems to be at least three ways of saying "Confucius" in Chinese:
孔子 (Kǒngzǐ)
孔丘 (Kǒngqiū)
仲尼 (Zhòngní) with some variants:
字仲尼 (Zì Zhòngní)
孔仲尼 (Kǒng Zhòngní)
(There's possibly more I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
Do the names 远宁, 温宁, 文宁, or 玟宁 sound good for a male character?
I have so much with trouble finding Chinese names it's beyond shameful. I always worry about the name sounding nonsensical or just evoking the feeling of "say what? O_o"
Anyways, I'll have to trouble ...
0
votes
2answers
61 views
Etymology of foreign names translated to Chinese
I am looking for a resource that explains the translation of English names to Chinese. In this case i am trying to understand why Broadway is translated to 百老汇。
Anyone knows? Thanks in advance.
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Commonalities in Hong Kong place names
I've been in Hong Kong long enough to notice some patterns appearing in the names of Hong Kong's places. Most of the places had 角 or 灣 in them.
For example:
角: 旺角, 大角嘴, 北角, 沙頭角
灣: 灣仔, 西灣河, 銅鑼灣, 荃灣
...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
Is it ok to use colour character in name (not surname character)?
Is it ok to use colour in mordern Chinese names (I don't mean surname like 黃，白）
For example, there is a name like 叶红鱼，but she seems to be a person from a tale. So I guess is there any mordern names ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
Characters for foreign names / places
Non-Chinese names and places are usually transliterated by using similar sounding characters.
Assuming that no established Chinese transliteration exists for a certain family or place name, and ...
0
votes
3answers
107 views
Help with names for ancient Chinese novel characters
I would like some help determining if these names are good/appropriate/authentic for male characters in an ancient Chinese story?
(从霜)
(千秋)
(兰韵)
(清绝)
(飞流)
(花箨)
(飞瑶)
(忘机)
I would also like to ...
1
vote
2answers
98 views
Is it possible to shorten 你叫什么名字? to 你叫什么?
Is it possible to shorten 你叫什么名字? to 你叫什么?
Will it still mean the same? Or it is possible to reply to 你叫什么? with something different, not just Surname+Name?
你叫什么? - 叫我‘你的噩夢’ :)
1
vote
3answers
85 views
How to ask about chinese firstname?
How to ask about chinese firstname?
E.g.
What is your name /fullname/? - 你叫什麽名字？- 我叫李燕 /lastname + firstname/。
Whan is your surname? - 你貴姓？ - 我姓李。
What is your name /firstname/? - [...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Is the pronunciation of a heteronym in a given name indeterminable unless we ask the person personally?
There are tones of heteronyms in Chinese and when a heteronym is a given name, or a part of a given name, is asking the person (or his friends, relatives, etc.) the only way to find the pronunciation?
...
1
vote
2answers
193 views
Why the surname 유 (Yoo) is translated as 刘 instead of 余 or 于？
유창혁 (Yoo Changhyuk) is translated as 刘昌赫 in Chinese. Is there any reason that 유 is translated as 刘 instead of 余 or 于?
1
vote
1answer
201 views
“Sheng” as a male given name
Apparently there are quite a lot of characters that are pronounced as "sheng". (According to Pleco: 生、声、省、升、胜、圣、剩，盛、牲、绳、笙、甥、嵊、眚、乘、昇、晟、渑、㗂，呏，曻、泩、陞、鼪)
Which of these could plausibly be used as a (...
2
votes
2answers
78 views
What is the usage with these names?
The TV movies 流星花園 made in 2001 and 2008 have characters named 道明寺, 花澤類, and 藤堂靜, who are usually called 寺, 類, and 靜. I think those are just the second syllables of the two-syllable given names. ...
1
vote
0answers
110 views
Can someone please translate my grandfather's signature
There is a mystery about my great great grandfather's name, I found this on his australian marriage certificate. The signature is over 120 yrs old and he was an older man and may not exactly match ...
1
vote
2answers
117 views
When 少 is used in someone's name, is it always pronounced shào？
少 can either be pronounced as shào or shǎo. But when used in names, is it always pronounced as shào?
0
votes
1answer
45 views
What are the surnames and given names of these fictional people of the Three Kingdoms?
金環三結,董荼那,阿會喃,忙牙長
What are their surnames and given names. For example, is 董 the surname of 董荼那?
0
votes
2answers
110 views
An extremely rare same name used by two people
The rare name 澹台灭明 is used by two people:
A disciple of Confucious.
A character is one of Liang Yusheng's novels.
As I understand, the surname 澹台 and the given name 灭明 are both extremely rare in ...
2
votes
4answers
230 views
Is the female name 桂英 outdated? Why?
I suggested naming a Chinese baby girl 桂英 after her grandmother but my suggestion was rejected as the name was considered outdated. I know there is a legendary heroine named 穆桂英 and the name 桂英 is ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
Different given names in Chinese and English
Chinese business persons often have a different given name in English than in Chinese. For example, Tencent founder Ma Huateng is internationally known as Pony Ma while his co-founder Zhang Zhidong is ...
0
votes
2answers
107 views
Using 滿喜由 as a male name in Mainland China
I am a foreigner with a difficult name. Could I use 滿喜由 as a full male name in Mainland China without causing too much hassle in communication?
How does 滿喜由 sound to native chinese speakers?
4
votes
6answers
771 views
Help me choose a Chinese name from a list of ideas
My English name does not transliterate well to Mandarin, so I'm choosing a Chinese name. I want it to evoke wisdom, inner strength, peace, beautiful and serene elements of nature, and poetry.
I'm new ...
0
votes
2answers
68 views
I would be grateful if anyone can translate/identify the artist of this Chinese “Farmers' Art” painting
The attached image is of a painting of the genre known as Chinese Farmers' / Chinese Peasants'/ or Chinese 'naive" paintings. But I cannot de-code the signature and seal, so would be most grateful if ...
3
votes
3answers
166 views
Help choosing a Chinese name among a few shortlisted ones
(I'm not actually certain my request fits here, as I'm looking for specific advice rather than answers to an abstract question. I'm sorry if it doesn't.)
I'm going to study in China for two years. ...
2
votes
2answers
155 views
How to determine if a personal name is feminine or masculine?
Sometimes when working with Chinese names it is not evidently clear whether the person in question is male or female.
Besides using pure, fallible, intuition - what other methods are there to tell if ...
8
votes
1answer
667 views
Why is Cristiano Ronaldo known as “C罗” in Chinese?
I see Cristiano Ronaldo is often referred as C罗 in Chinese. I find it curious because:
This is not a nickname pattern followed in any other player name, and
罗 isn't even part of the full name ...
4
votes
2answers
107 views
Why would 人 be used for names?
I've seen 人 used as a character in multiple names.
李劼人 is an example of a fairly well known person with the character 人 in his name.
It seems slightly jarring that 人 - person would be a feature of a ...
4
votes
2answers
201 views
Why do the Taiwanese have such strange characters for names?
It seems like every time I look up a CJK ext. B character it invariably says:
台湾人名用字。
For example I just looked up the character:
𢵓
zisea notes:
拼音peng2。台湾人名用字。
A few days ago I was ...
1
vote
2answers
109 views
Do any names start with 谦？
A while back, when I first started learning Chinese, I chose my Chinese name to be 谦恭. I chose this because 谦恭 is a loose direct translation of the meaning of my name.
So, a few years later, I found ...
1
vote
2answers
77 views
What are written name conventions in labels?
I’m making a door sign for a baby’s nursery; should I stack the characters vertically? Should I include the family name? Are there any faux pas’s to be aware of when making a gift like this?
2
votes
1answer
126 views
Why are certain Chinese surnames common in certain provinces?
I am referring to the figure below, obtained from Wikipedia
I am aware that about 40% of all Chinese can be characterised into 10 or so surnames. However, breaking it down, there are particular ...
4
votes
2answers
377 views
Alternative name for Hong Kong 香港
Just as Mainland China can be referred to as 中国, 大陆 or 内地,
I was wondering whether Hong Kong has any alternative names (official or just as slang).
In English, we refer to Hong Kong in slang as '...
1
vote
1answer
119 views
Is “ne” used as a pronunciation for any character except 呢?
I am wondering about the Pinyin syllable ne (specifically, nè), because it is the ending of the name of a friend of mine. We are searching for a Chinese character that accurately represents this sound ...
1
vote
2answers
579 views
2 word (Mainland) versus 3 word (Hong Kong) Chinese names
I simply want to know why Chinese names from Mainland China are only two words (they can be 2 or 3 syllables) when written in their romanised or pinyin form).
Meanwhile almost all Hong Kong names I ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
Names in original Chinese
How do write the Cantonese name below in Chinese? I only know them in the
Ho Ling (first name, I only know the "English phonetic version")
Cheung (last name)
2
votes
1answer
417 views
What are the original Chinese characters for the Filipino-Chinese family name Suico?
The book Life in Old Parian says the Cebuano family name Suico has Chinese origin, and I'm looking for the original Chinese characters. I'm trying to narrow it down based on the Hokkien pronunciation ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
Phonetic pronunciation help for “秋子/Autumn Child” - Chinese trad
Trying to figure out the laymans phonetic spelling for 秋子 (Qiūzi: Autumn Child.)
The closest I've been able to come is Chee-Oh-tsö (because the umlaut 'o' makes an oo sound).
But this still seems ...
3
votes
4answers
280 views
Must Japanese people's name be mapped to equivalent Chinese characters?
According to this question titled "How do we choose the correct characters for a westerner name?", the accepted answer says the following:
It's your name and you can arbitrarily pick characters to ...
1
vote
5answers
317 views
What reaction would you (a Mandarin/Chinese speaker) have to my Chinese name (宁春菊)?
Hi! I am American but I was adopted from China so I have a Chinese name. Recently I have been curious about how a Mandarin/Chinese Speaker would react to my Chinese name, which is 宁春菊 (nìng chūnjú)。
...
1
vote
4answers
5k views
How do Chinese people call each other?
In China, most people have one of 100 most common surnames (老百姓). So it is common that people have the same surname in a classroom.
I wonder how Chinese people call each other in a case where there ...
0
votes
1answer
105 views
How may “Donald” be rendered in Chinese?
Would 董 be a possibility? (Thinking a great deal about rulers in the context of conduct and character lately, and 董卓 keeps jumping to mind;)
1
vote
2answers
357 views
Why do Malaysians have Cantonese surnames?
I vaguely know that Cantonese is quite widely spoken in Kuala Lumpur and the peninsular area of Malaysia.
Is this the reasons why many Malaysian colleagues have surnames that are common in Hong Kong? ...
0
votes
4answers
269 views
How would you say “X, the Y” in Chinese?
I am currently learning Mandarin in Simplified Chinese. I've just started learning so I cannot speak all that well. However, here is my problem:
I have a Chinese family coming over. They are proud ...
