Chinese Names 101
How to choose a good Chinese name
Unlike Western names, we can’t put together a few strokes/radicals and create a new Chinese name. That is to say one need to have the knowledge of Chinese characters to choose the right Chinese name. Here are the tips to help you (NOT TO) choose a Chinese name.
The structure of Chinese names
Most Chinese names are made up of three characters. Both xìng (姓) and míng (名) can be monosyllabic or disyllabic.
There are thousands of xìng (姓) inventory. The most common ones are Wáng (王), Lǐ (李) and Zhāng (张). A child usually inherits his/her father’s surname. However, there is no fixed inventory of míng (名) in Chinese as in English such as Michael and John. Instead, words with positive connotations are carefully selected to associate with the personality.
How do Chinese people choose their own names?
A good Chinese name is chosen for various factors such as metaphorical meanings, visual appearances of its characters, time/place of birth and yin-yang.
Some Chinese parents even go to a fortune teller to check the Wǔ Xíng (五行, the “Five Elements” including wood, earth, water, fire, and metal) and/or bāzì (八字, the “Four Pillars of Destiny” based on year, month, day and hour of birth). There are very old systems which most modern Chinese people cannot fully understand.
Step-by-step guide to choose a good Chinese name
1)Choose a Chinese surname
Tips: Select a Chinese surname from the 100 most common surnames so that your surname will be easily recognisable by native speakers.
For example, the surname Lǐ (李) or Lú (卢) might suit someone who is called Lewis.
2)Choose a Chinese given name: Add one or two more characters that reflect your personality
Tips: Pay attention to the gender, pronunciation and meaning of the character
For example, the name Lǐ Wěi (李伟) might suit a guy named Lewis.
Lǐ (李, plum)
Wěi (伟, large, great)
3)Consult several native speakers who know you before settling on one Chinese name
4) Learn how to introduce your name
Tips: There are two common ways to introduce a Chinese name:
a) To describe the characters by association with common words or names of famous Chinese people.
b) To describe the component of each character
For example, someone who called Lǐ Wěi (李伟) can introduce himself like this:
Wǒ jiào Lǐ Wěi. Mù zǐ lǐ, wěidà de wěi. (我叫李伟。木子李 , 伟大的伟。)
Translation: I’m (called) Li Wei. Lǐ, the composition of the words mù (木, wood) and zǐ (子, son, child, seed). Wěi as in wěidà (伟大, great, mighty).
How (NOT) to choose your Chinese names
1) Avoid transliteration trap!
While transliteration works for some celebrities, it doesn’t always work for everyone. Let’s look at the name ‘Rose’.
Luó Sī (罗斯) is the most common transliteration. Although Luó (罗) is a very common Chinese surname, the name would be too masculine for a girl. Besides, the name has a homophone, “luósī” (螺丝), which means “screw”.
“Ròusī” (肉丝) means pork shreds. It might not help in giving a good first impression.
2) Avoid names that have weird homophones!
Let’s look at the name Yáng Wěi (杨伟).
Yáng (杨), a very common Chinese surname, combines with Wěi (伟, large, great) seems like a great name. But its homophone “yángwěi” (阳痿, impotence) will make this name a huge nightmare!
Well, now you know how complicated it could be to choose a Chinese name. Good luck!
For more information on how to choose a Chinese name, please refer to the Chat to Learn Chinese app on Google Play Store or IOS App Store.
You can also learn how to ask and answer ‘What’s your name?’ formally and informally in the app.
