Page 4 » Choosing a Chinese Name and Safety » Discussion

Discussion

Today on Dear Amber we put safety first and give some safety advice for staying alive on the streets of China. Plus, rising to the daunting challenge of picking a good Chinese name... and JP of SpanishPod joins us to talk about his foreigner-friendly food recommendations. Meet us in the comments section to leave us your advice on these subjects and more!

Comments (200)

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artkho says

Best Dear Amber show ever! I am sooooo hungry now.

January 17, 2008 from the Web.

jpvillanueva says

Hola, todos! This is my movie about jian bing. I also have a movie about Menus, Food, and Subway signs. Thanks for making me a star, Amber-guesa! Come stop by SpanishPod when you get a chance, you all!

January 17, 2008 from the Web.

artkho says

btw, I have been waiting for the Cpod-Spanishpod cross promotion for a long time now. ;-)

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says I just wish we could get real Mexican tacos in SH. January 18, 2008 from the Web.

bazza says

I've met JP, he's cool.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

oiman says

i gave it a stab and tried to find me a chinese name, following roughly the sound of it. my name is alberto, one syllable gets cut off, so it's either like erbei or beituo beiduo, but it's been so far discomforting to find out that the only combinations available are: 耳背 er3bei4, hard of hearing 悲痛 bei1tong4 grieved so i'm picking an entirely new one and i think it's gonna be 恐龙 kong3 long2, dinosaur, which is infinitely better!

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

gra55hopper says

Hearing you talk about the sweet cooked yam smell, took me back to Shijiazhuang in Hebie Province so much. Thank You

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

lunetta says

You really should put a warning sticker on this episode: do not listen on an empty stomach... :-) And Clay, what's happening? First it's braiding hair and now a girly name?

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

panda2 says

Great memories of China in this show! Street food is great just make sure it is HOT and well cooked. watch the ice in the beer ??? it will get you for sure !! Re Safety crossing the road. walk on the red light to cross the street as you know where the car that hits you is coming from!!! Ha Ha .... never make eye contact with the driver or he will not stop!! it works for the Chinese... take my word for it! ..and walking on footpath expect the un expected and you will be safe. as it is used for everything but walking!! As for Shanghai and most BIG cities in China as a westerner you are very safe walking at all times of the night ....

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

chingrisherman says

this is a pretty name it's tones are 马哟, thinking of surname thinking thinking i'll find one

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

chingrisherman says

oh i already have a surname now excuse the last sentence

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sushan says

Don't get me started on street food, which is the most accessbile through a language barrier - you can see what is available without having to puzzle through a menu and you can order and pay with hand signals. It's really good, convenient, and cheap. I've never been sick on it either, but common sense should be used - I watch the vendor to see how sanitation concious they are and examine their ingredients and cooking methods. Sniff the meat, etc. Oh, and the magic phrase - 新鲜的吗？ xin1xian1 de ma - Is that fresh? The jian bings are fantastic, and such nice hand warmers in the cold weather. Do they seriously put plum sauce on jian bings in Shanghai? Usually here (Sichuan) it is 芝麻酱 zhi1majiang4, sesame sauce. The egg mc-muffin type sandwiches are called 蛋暴 dan4bao4 - not sure about the second character. They are great with coffee, here in Sichuan they can be stuffed with preserved vegetable or seasoned sausage. I also love 烧屏 shao1bing3, the little breads with spicy/salty or sweet flavouring for 5 mao each. 蛋烘糕 dan4hong1gao１, palm-sized crepes folded over fillings, again for 5 mao each. Here in Chengdu we can get 串串 chuan4chuan4, hot pot's poor cousin, on the street - vegetables, eggs, or meat on skewers cooked in spicy broth. Again in Chengdu、锅馈 guo1kui4 fried or or baked/filled flatbread or sandwich. Some of the filled ones are very similar to the Shaanxi rou jia mo. I like the fried ones best. on and on and on..

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sushan says

Nice to hear from Rebecca again. Street safety: when you get off the bus in my city you are stepping into the bike lane so you need to look right. The car and bike drivers kind of aim for where you are not going to be in a minute so you don't want to suddenly change direction or speed up/slow down.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

kimiik says

鲁克莱（lǔkèlái) is the short version 鲁克莱齐亚（lǔkèláiqíyà) which is the official transliteration of Lucrezia, Lucrecia and Lucresia. Lucrezia, Lucrecia and Lucresia are female first names in Italy.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

kimiik says

...and also Lucretia of course ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretia It's coming from the latin "lucrator" (winner).

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

trustymutsi says

I found a name converter. What do you guys think of these for chinese names for myself? Zhen1 Hui4 Ren2 (True Valiant Benevolent?) Zhen1 Hoa2 Ren2 (True Brave Benevolent?) Jiang3 Hoa2 Ren2 (Honest Brave Benevolent?) Or one I came up with myself (and HOPE the meaning is right) Zhen1 Mao4 Jian4 (Which I THINK translates to True Leader Example) Do any of these seem good? Do I have the translations messed up? Thanks for ANY help!

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

trustymutsi says

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

jimkahl says

Excellent installment of DA. JP's input is greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, I have not been to China yet, so I can't contibute with any experience or say what my favorite food is. I may get the opportunity within the next couple months to travel to Shanghai and Wuxi as part of my job. I am really looking forward to experiencing everything firsthand. I think the Chinese name I have selected for myself is rather clever considering I have only been studying for about 7 months now. 凯金龍 (kai3 jin1 long2 - victorious gold dragon), which is a loose transliteration of my name combined with the year I was born. As always, keep up the good work Amber.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sparechange says

*gasp* You can't say "hola todos" in here!!! ;-) How do you say "no hablo español" in Chinese?

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

fudapeng says

When it came time to select a Chinese name, my teacher wrote out a list of some names she thought were cute or clever and let me choose. Still intimidated by the shape of Chinese characters, I chose 大朋 da4peng3 because it was so easy to write. To this day I have never met a Chinese person who hasn't giggled at my name, but they NEVER forget. My last name is 福 fu3 because my last name starts with "fu". Its kind of a cool last name because around Chinese new year, everyone is hanging big "福" signs everywhere, and I look and say "Hey! Thats my name!!"

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

fudapeng says

My advice for choosing a name is thus: Pick one that sounds or looks cool. Forget about the meaning unless it is vulgar (in which case, it may not be a good choice). The idea is that you will have to write and say this name thousands upon thousands of times from the point which you choose it, and if you cringe up in disgust every time you say/write it, then its not worth it to have just because you like the meaning. You want to be proud and happy and awed when you write/say it. Besides, due to the large number of homonyms, almost nobody will ever know the real meaning of your name just by hearing it.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

trustymutsi says

Good point Fudapeng. I'm still overwhelmed by how many different things a chinese word can mean. Guess I'll just pick which one sounds the best. I still would love anyone's input on my previous post:)

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sparechange says

There are several native Chinese where I work, and only a few of them have chosen English names. Couple that with the frequent overhead pages, and you have a recipe for disaster.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sparechange says

Somebody mentioned in the show (I don't remember who) that their Chinese friends always called them by their full Chinese name, and never by their given name only. Is this pretty much the norm? Do the Chinese ever know each other "on a first name basis"?

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sebire says

When I was a little kid, my chinese teacher named me 華婷立 (I think they're the right characters?) I'm not sure why she thought it up.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

bayless says

When I was trying to choose a Chinese name, I went to the ChinesePod forums. I'd found the "standard" transliteration for Sean on the net: 肖恩. I brought this up in a post, and someone suggested an alternative to be slightly different: 萧恩. I guess it's also the family name of a hero from a Wuxia novel, which is also really neat.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

jpvillanueva says

Bazza and I go way back, we was boyz back in October 07! sparechage, you can say 我不会说西班牙语啊！ But why would you say such a thing? sushan, since I made that video, I've changed my story. It's not a plum sauce, it's some kind of soy sauce. I'm pretty sure my crepe lady isn't using a sesame sauce... although I wonder how that tastes! My Chinese name is 万吉平。 A friend at a Chinese Language Meetup gave it to me, because 吉平 sounds like "JP" and 万 because the /w/ sound is supposedly close to the /v/ sound in my last name. I like it because it's easy to write. Chinese people are usually surprised and delighted when I tell them my name, apparently the meaning is pleasant (but I don't really have a sense of that). Finally, if some of you enjoy SpanishPod we could use a little help: currently on the iTunes list of Top Educational Podcasts we are battling it out with four other Spanish-learning podcasts... one company in particular has made some choices in terms of name, motto, etc. that seem very SpanishPod-esque... you'll see what I mean when you get there. Anyway, the real SpanishPod could use some good customer reviews on iTunes! I would love it if some of you could show your support! By the way, my segment of Dear Amber-guesa was ACTUALLY recorded in Studio Fiesta, because Studio One (aka "People's Studio") was in use at the time! Just thought you'd like to know...

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

crazykitty says

my favorite chinese food is 煎堆. is it jin dui? my family hates them though. too chewy they say. on another note, my last name is white. is it better to transliterate that or translate that? like 怀特 or 白. and i don't like my transliteration of melissa. mei li sha. yuck. any other suggestions. man, i have name issues. xiexie, melissa.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sushan says

JP, actually I have had people in China try to speak to me in Spanish here if they didn't know English or Chinese very well since several of my American friends can get by in Spanish and it can be the 'lingua franca' in some circles Oh, they can also use 豆瓣酱, dou4ban4jiang4 on the jian bings, a really spicy preserved chili and bean paste. can't resist one more street food 耶儿粑 ye1er2ba1, pretty sure the first char is wrong though. Steamed little glutinous rice dumplings with the bottom part wrapped in a leaf, sometimes coloured yellow or green, with seasoned meat inside. Not sure if they ar local or if you can find them everywhere. But the glory of street food is the serendipity - you don't really need to know what things are called, and often the only way to find out what something really is, is by biting into it. (Another good street food phrase: 里面是什麽? li3mian4 shi4 shen2me? - What is inside?)

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

Joachim says

jp: It's probably officially called "The Great Studio of the People" while el otro se llama "La cocina con micro" o algo.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

babliku says

How do the Chinese pick their English names? I had a friend who sent me a link to a website that generated one for you haha. You just had to input your chinese name in PinYin. That was pretty cool.

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

julesong says

Perhaps it might be a good idea, seeing how it's such a complicated topic, to separate choosing a Chinese name from the food topic? Could be a good thing. I think an entire lesson on choosing a Mandarin name - considering all the implications involved - would be a good idea. :)

January 18, 2008 from the Web.

sebire says

I liked this video about Chinese people choosing English names: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvtWAXoZjTc

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

lunetta says

Very much inspired by this episode I decided that today was the day to get a Chinese name. I usually meet with a Chinese girl every Saturday and she was very excited to help me. This is the name we came up with: 田露娜 tian2 lu4 na4 (Pera-kun gives the pronunciation nuo2 of 娜 but my friend pronunced it na4.) We chose 田 because part of my last name means field. We also considered 苏 su1 and 孙 sun1 which would both be good transliterations but put together with 露娜 it made it difficult for me to pronuciate. I also liked 田 because as she said, it sounds just like 甜 tian2 (sweet). 露娜 is a transliteration of my first name Lone. When I'm in Italy everyone calls me Luna so when I told my friend this she immediately suggested 露娜。露means dew and 娜 means elegant or graceful so we both agreed it was a nice, poetic and feminin name. We also briefly considered 龙 long2 (dragon) but we both agreed that it was too fierce a name and more suited for boys.

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

vann0000 says

My girlfriend & her sister chose this name for me... 高博鸿 I think that it is good. yes, not yes?

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

linfeng2008 says

The secretary of our school gave me my Chinese name after considering my English name and my interests. I like it a lot, but my fellow Canadian friends started calling me Forest Gump instead of Forest Winds. That has now changed ever since they hear the hilarious Newbie lesson called "What's That Smell" Now they call me Lin Fang Pi. I remember in 1994 to 1996, our school cafeteria often served rice porridge which was very bland and even cake from time to time. We could buy bread on the street which was always very sweet, but could make toast with.

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

linfeng2008 says

After experiencing my first Lei Feng day, I would often say "Learn from Lin Feng!" in class. But nobody saw the humor in it.

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

sebire - I saw that video a while back and I thought it was brilliant then. It's doubly so now! Haha! Great stuff! Thanks for posting it!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

heruilin says

This was a wonderful Dear Amber and I'm hoping Amber will post the characters for latest Chinese name. I really loved JP's video as well and am also a big fan the plum and hot sauce version of 煎餅（jian1bing3). As for names, It took my s.o. two years for her to settle on my Chinese name，何睿林 (he2rui4lin2) ，and another few years to learn for me to learn how to write and pronounce the rui4 part correctly! When her Chinese friends and she are talking about me or when we become separated in a public place and she calls out to locate me, I am referred to as 老何 (lao3he2) which sounds really cool to me. 再見，何睿林

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

andrewm says

Is this glutinous rice ball with with red bean and black sesame paste with coconut filling called 艾窝窝 ai4wo1wo?

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

Team

amber says

It's so cool to hear everyone's Chinese names! Mine is 子安 (zi3 an1)! Easy to write, too... andrewm, I wonder if that is what it's called...! everytime i line up to get it, it's like a mosh pit, and there's just a tiny little window through which you put your money and get your glue-ball. It's so chaotic I never have the chance to ask what its called. It's from a little hole in the wall shop on the pedestrian part of Nanjing Lu in Shanghai. As for any name consultant questions, I'm gonna leave those for Jenny to answer!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

andrewm says

I think it's a good idea to ask someone who is from China, as I did, for a Chinese name. The only difference is that I demanded that the name should not be a traditional transliteration which so often happens. I wanted a name that was already well known to the Chinese but sounded remotely like my first name for the last two characters. The first character or surname, from my point of view, could be different from most surnames, because I'm not of Chinese origin. I noticed that many Chinese people choose well known English names like Sally, Jenny, Stefanie, Joe, Jay, etc. They usually, it not always, retain their last name.

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

crazykitty says

sebire, that was a hilarious video! I was laighing so hard!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

jpvillanueva says

Hey folks, I will be in Manlia the first couple weeks of February; if anyone is interested meeting up, give me a holler!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

HEY! You can't leave Shanghai! I was looking forward to meeting you! I'll be there from February 10-17! Come back!!!!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

Oh, and thanks for the great video! I have to try that. I REALLY have to re-visit that lesson on "no cilantro." :-)

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

artkho says

Amber, Jenny gave you a very nice name. You're the child of peace!

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

jpvillanueva says

Fear not, dear Frank, friend yet unmet, though tickets bought, plans made and set, I shall return to Shanghai, wet and cold and gray and rainy, If well my schedule I discern, on Wednesday 13 I return, Five days to share, that's time to burn before you board your... plane-y... (ahem)...

January 19, 2008 from the Web.

powerfuldragon says

Excellent Dear Amber episode!! The first name given to me by the business card company was a transliteration becoming about 7 characters. After consulting with several friends in China it was time to give me (Norman) a name, however they tied it more to my job (sourcing, contracts and negotiations). so my name is now: 周晓龙周 ZHOU just a play on my last name, also means known to all 晓 XIAO daybreak, morning 龙 LONG dragon so its dragon that has been awaken Now has anyone had the opportunity provide english names to people in China? I have had that honor on several occasions. For instance: YuWen became Yvonne MeiJun became Mary Jane SuLi became Cindy I only ask that they write their name in Pinyin and try to come up with something close that they may like.

January 20, 2008 from the Web.

user42993 says

Oiman: 恐龙 is also slang for an ugly woman - I wouldn't do it!

January 20, 2008 from the Web.

excuter says

For my actuaI chinese name I just transliterated my familyname because 本地个 reflects my opinion that I am a person who is at home in this world not just in a country with borders defined by humans. So I´m a local everywhere I go as long as I don´t leave this planet... or something like that... ;-)

January 20, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

Oh HO! And he rhymes! Oh, yes, mi amigo, we're going to get along just fine! :-)

January 20, 2008 from the Web.

chittywangbang says

Back in my Teaching days my name was 泥恨耗 which means mud/hate/rat My idea was that it sounds like 你很好， untill you read it. But I changed it because it was shit

January 20, 2008 from the Web.

urbandweller says

Wo shi Adam. I just looked up my name on Chinese-tools.com and it gave me Yà dāng 亚当. Anybody know how that translates?? Is it good or bad?

January 21, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says hi urbandweller, I think that's the same name the Chinese translation of Adam of "Adam and Eve" fame uses! January 21, 2008 from the Web.

linfeng2008 says

Powerfuldragon, I had fun with English names too. Since the school I was in was just opening in 1996 and the small village of 1.5 million people had never even seen a foreigner (never mind have an English name) I had the pleasure of naming most of the elementary students. I honored all of my friends and relatives by naming somebody after them. After that I had to resort to movie stars and character names from TV shows. Today, it appears that most of them have changed their English names to something they personally like better. :(

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

emski says

Oh, oh! What a great topic! I love my Chinese name, love it so much more than my english name (Emily--太普通了呀） My surname is 范Fan4 and my name is 晓嫣xiao3yan1 When I started studying Chinese my name was 美丽--AAGGHH!--and the process of changing it from a tacky, non-chinese name to a more authentic-sounding name took me first from 笑嫣 then to 晓嫣. Now i am satisfied.

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

范晓嫣,this name is really charming.

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

I'm a chinese from Guangzhou, Guangdong province,now am learning English.Someone who wants to learn Chinese may add my icq#357009206.Then we can make good friends and communicate each other. I'd be glad to be acquainted with you.

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

I have no English name.Who will be so kind to give me a good English name?

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

My E-mail is partygo@163.com

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

calkins says

partygo, are you male or female...no details in your profile. What's your Chinese name? These will help with creating an English name for you. btw, your English is really great...and very polite:)

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

orkelm says

First off, I've eaten with JP in China, he knows his way around food! Second, as to Chinese names, when my Chinese friends were helping me with my Chinese name (Ke1, An1 Liang2) they also considered a name that would be written the same in both simplified and traditional characters. I thought it was a nice touch and something I wouldn't have thought of.

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

calkins,thanks for your compliments,it has greatly encouraged me.But I think my English is not as good as what you said. My Chinese name is 曲qu3宠chong3上shang4,male,27 years old.

January 22, 2008 from the Web.

powerfuldragon says

PARTYGO (ChongShang,) Using my .... ahhhhhhhhh .... method, Keep your family name QU as the last name.I come up with the following for your english name: CHAD CHIP CHET CHESTER CHARLES CHARLIE CHUCK CHUCKIE CHRISTOPHER In a formal setting use CHARLES but among friends; Chuck Chuckie,Charlie .......... Hopefully this gives you some ideas ! Norman

January 23, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

powerfuldragon I've received your message,and thank you for your suggestion.I think you're really an expert on this subject to give me so much nice names. I've decided to use the name Chester,for I think it is most close to my Chinese name in pronunciation, and, I think it'll bring me a good luck. I'm really pleasant to own it. If you've any question in Chinese studying, you may send E-mail to me. partygo@163.com I'll be glad to receive it and sure to reply you. Wish you a good luck!

January 23, 2008 from the Web.

powerfuldragon says

Chester Qu does have a nice ring to it ! You are very polite, I am not an expert but have had practice. Glad to help you.

January 23, 2008 from the Web.

xiaohu says

My first Chinese name was a simple transliteration of my real name, but the Chinese name that stuck 小虎, the Chinese people always say is very cute and they like it very much. My private tutor who gave me my first Chinese name said it's better not to have a name that sounds Chinese. Later on when I adopted the name 小虎 I began to see that the Chinese people actually prefer us to have names that sound Chinese. I guess it's the same as in America, we much prefer the name "Jet Li" as opposed to "Li Lian Jie", or perhaps the name "Connie" as opposed to "Kang Yi" etc., it creates a feeling of a closer relationship right away.

January 24, 2008 from the Web.

cawa says

partygo--here are a couple more ideas for English names, using a "j" sound instead of a "ch" sound (which are very closely related linguistically in English). George (derived from a Greek word that means "farmer") Jason (derived from a Greek word that means "to heal") Joseph (often shortened to Joe, devired from the Hebrew phrase for "he will add") Given your Chinese name, I personally kind of like Joseph.

January 24, 2008 from the Web.

cyrils says

i just strated to listen and I think that your podcast are wonderful I look forward to each one. I would like to figure out a Chinese name I am a 48 year old male english name Cyril. Once again great job!

January 24, 2008 from the Web.

partygo says

cawa,I should thank u for your kindness, though my thank is a little late. I'm really happy to meet and chat with you such kind foreigners!

January 28, 2008 from the Web.

brooke says

I love the name topic. My original Chinese name was a transliteration: 布鲁克 ("bu4 lu2 ke4," or something like that). However, as time went on I decided to get a "real" Chinese name. I started with 晓溪 (xiao3 xi1), because my English name is a small stream, and the idea of a dawn and a stream sounded attractive. Plus I chose 岑 (cen2) as my surname, since my last name means "on a hill." However, most Chinese, upon hearing my name, assumed it was 小溪, and I got tired of explaining the difference, so I ended up changing it to that anyway. Plus, 小溪 = small stream. People love it. I teach ESL to Chinese in the states, and some of my students only know my Chinese name. One even told me she remembers my English name based on my Chinese one! Amazing... but cool. :- ) Oh! And I'm getting married to an ethnic Chinese, so my name will become 林小溪 (lin2 xiao3 xi1). It has a ring to it... :- )

January 28, 2008 from the Web.

xiaohu says

brooke : How about considering using “涓”juan1, the character means "Brooke" and there are many chinese girls named 涓。 Lin2 Xiao3 Juan1 isn't a half bad name at all.

January 28, 2008 from the Web.

Team	clay says cyrils, Connie picked out a good name for you. 赛瑞 Sàiruì 赛 sai meaning exceed or competition 瑞 rui meaning auspicious or good omen hope you like January 29, 2008 from the Web.

calkins says

I've been trying to come up with a Chinese name for a few months, without any luck. I was trying to find a transliteration of Brent, but they all sounded really bad. Now I'm thinking about translating the meaning of Brent, which in Old English means "hill, mount" (exciting, I know!). So, would 小山 xiǎoshān sound silly to a native speaker? Also, it's kind of the opposite of 大山 dàshān, and that's kind of weird. Anyway, any thoughts or help would be appreciated:)

January 29, 2008 from the Web.

calkins says

I'm guessing 小 xiǎo would be a bit feminine!

January 29, 2008 from the Web.

sushan says

Not necessarily, I have several male students with 小 xiao3 in their names. (like, little tiger or little dragon) One of the coolest student names I had last semester was 石磊 shi2 lei3 - four stones, maybe a bit rustic though? In general, good to avoid names that a) sound too peasant like, b) sound too taiwan-y if you are in mainland and maybe vice versa, c) you have a hard time writing/pronouncing. Need to be aware of puns and cultural references too. Best to find someone who is a native speaker and knows you to help with a Chinese name.

January 29, 2008 from the Web.

brooke says

Hi xiaohu - Thanks! Great suggestion! However, I probably need to stick with what I have, at least until I move elsewhere, since half of my students already know me by 小溪. It's something to keep in mind, tho. :- )

January 30, 2008 from the Web.

user3902 says

My Chinese name is a transliteration of my given English name- 戴安娜 dai(4)an(1)na(3)...How does this sound to Chinese ears?

January 30, 2008 from the Web.

user3902 says

Jian Bing was one of my favourite Chinese street foods too...and sweet potato.

January 30, 2008 from the Web.

anne says

我就挑了这个名字：马茜安。大家觉得怎么样？ Wǒ jiù tiāo le zhè ge míngzi ：Mǎ Qiànān. Dàjiā juéde zěnmeyàng?

January 30, 2008 from the Web.

darcey says

I've got two Chinese names... one from my college professor, and one from the adult education professor. Both are Chinese expats, and I'm trying to decide which one--if either!--is appropriate for use. 孔丽苹 is from the first teacher, and I'm told that's a common name and kind of "old fashioned". 孔丹夕 is from the second teacher (to match my English name), and someone told me that the 'red evening' meaning could be ill-omened...?? I'm really looking for a solid, good name that I can use in business transactions as well as "just to have", and I keep getting conflicting information. I don't care if it sounds like my English name (darcey) ;) Anyone have ideas, or a 'pick' of one of my two current ones?

February 1, 2008 from the Web.

Team	clay says darcey, what is your full name in english? -clay February 4, 2008 from the Web.

darcey says

Darcey, and because I know internet security and fraud (I and my boyfriend are in that field), my surname begins with "Kun" and is of Lithuanian origin. ;) I have two middle names (Marie Alexis).

February 6, 2008 from the Web.

Team	clay says Ok, the girls are on break for a week, so remind me next week and they will pick you out a good one. February 7, 2008 from the Web.

darcey says

Lovely. ;) Given that I actually want to do business travel over there, I want to make sure I'm not saddled with the equivalent of "Dolores" or "Hilda", or "Trixie Bambi". Xiexie.

February 7, 2008 from the Web.

nobailesconmigo says

Ah, Dolores is not that bad (My mothers second name)...though it carries that ring of domina...

February 14, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says Hi Darcey, JiaoJie helped you to choose a name. I think it sounds pretty cute: 孔西子 (Kǒng Xīzǐ) February 14, 2008 from the Web.

oasislong says

My Chinese name is 伟爱思 (wei3 ai4 si)。How does it sound? Would it sound strange to a native speaker? 伟爱思怎么样？

February 16, 2008 from the Web.

oasislong says

I do not want my name to sound so Western!

February 16, 2008 from the Web.

Team	clay says oasislong, connie will help you out. she says it does sound strange. we need your full name however. February 18, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

All right, Blue Steel... now that you've had a chance to meet me and hang out with me, what do you think would be a good Chinese name for me? Hit me with your best shot! I warn you, though, I have nearly hated every attempt to just give me a transliteration of my name. Okay? GO! :-D

February 18, 2008 from the Web.

oasislong says

Actually, I don't think I want my Chinese name based on my English name. What are some really pretty, uncommon Chinese names that would not be considered strange?

February 19, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says hi frank, Jiaojie helped you to choose a few: 付云龙 (Fù Yúnlóng) 付云波 (Fù Yúnbō) 付帅 (Fù Shuài) 付强 (Fù Qiáng) 付亮 (Fù Liàng) All of them are very natural Chinese names. Your choice! February 19, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

So far I'm leaning heavily toward 付强 (Fù Qiáng), but I still can't figure out where that 付 is coming from! Thank Jiaojie for me, please!

February 19, 2008 from the Web.

danmacleod says

Great topic and posts. Thanks Amber and all for providing help. I've been trying to find a Chinese name for some time. 丹 seems like a good start since it's exactly my first name Dan. I sometimes call myself 老丹 because I'm usually so much older than everyone I work with in China. But people often giggle when I say it, and maybe it's not a real name, so I don't know. . . My first Chinese teacher 40 years ago called me Mr. Ma 马, since that was the start of my surname and so common in China. When combined with 老丹, it ends up being a rough transliteration of my name 马老丹. One of my clients once suggested 老子聃, but I don't know if that is presumptuous (although I AM an old master, with my own 道). Actually, maybe there's a good name in my 道. I'm a founder of the field of workplace ergonomics and have been visiting China to teach and consult (I'm doing a half-day class on office ergonomics and three-day class on industrial ergonomics in Shanghai late March if anyone is interested). In North America, I often get called ErgoDan, so maybe there's something there to play on here. We're translating ergonomics as 人机工效学, so the equivalent would be 工效丹, but I have no clue if that works as a name. What do you think? I would appreciate any thoughts. Dan

February 20, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says frank : 付 is coming from "Fradella" ——F. February 20, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says danmacleod： As you are older and wiser, the name 马宇效（Mǎ yǔ xiào）would suit you well. 宇cosmos 效effect 意思是很 “厉害”, This means that you make the world happen. February 20, 2008 from the Web.

frank says

lujiaojie -- Thank you very much! It was very nice meeting you during my last visit to ChinesePod. I understand that the 付 is something of a transliteration of my name, Fradella, but I was curious as to why you chose that particular iteration of the sound. There are a lot of "fu's" out there! 哈哈！ Anyway, thank you very much. I think it's a fine name and it seems easy enough to write. Thanks for your thoughtfulness!

February 20, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says frank 不用谢！You are welcome! As a surname, 付 and 傅 are common in chinese. I think you will take that name（付） for your surname and you will like it.You dont worry. February 20, 2008 from the Web.

dennisliehappo says

我叫李福林。 My name is LI Fulin.

March 2, 2008 from the Web.

daixiong says

A long time ago when I has first started to learn Chinese, a Malaysian Chinese girl I was working with at my local supermarket suggested 傅语恒 to me; 傅 for the first syllable of my surname (Falkinder), and 语恒 because I'm into studying languages, so she said 你永恒会学语言 and also because their was some 大臣 called 傅恒. I kept it for a few years, later saying the meaning was 要当语言师傅，能有恒心, but all the Chinese I met remarked on the literary nature of the name, said I sounded like a professor. I grew irritated with that and felt I couldn't live up to such a pretentious name, so tried to find a phonetic transliteration of my surname that would sound more like a normal Chinese name, and came up with 傅景德. Unfortunately all my documents from Taiwan have the older Chinese name on it, but then I think requiring foreigners to use Chinese names is pretty stupid.

March 9, 2008 from the Web.

daixiong says

hmm... 人必须有恒心，才能当语言师傅 .. better.

March 9, 2008 from the Web.

daixiong says

Another thing, I was trying to find a name that would be written the same in traditional and simplied characters. At one point I was trying to make a name that would sound natural and native in both Chinese and Japanese, which I've started to learn, but I think that's just too hard.

March 9, 2008 from the Web.

hellochinesemoto says

Are there any Chinese here that can help me? I'd like a female name with the character 神 in it.

March 23, 2008 from the Web.

mfalkoff says

A Chinese friend of mine suggested that I use 马克思, after good ol' Karl Marx (my actual name is Max). No idea what to use for a last name, though. Would something like 沷马克思 be totally weird?

March 26, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says hellochinesemoto: I think 神媛 (Shén yuán) is good. 媛 means beauty, beautiful. March 26, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says mfalkoff: As a last name 沷 is weird. I even cannot find it in my 《现代汉语词典》. However I found it in another dictionary , sounds like fú / fā. I think maybe you don't need a last name as "马"is a perfect one. March 26, 2008 from the Web.

mfalkoff says

好 ,谢谢!

March 27, 2008 from the Web.

kimiik says

I know a guy (strong swimmer) who called himself 覃衍射 because it sounds like his name and it reminds the diffraction in the water. But 覃衍射 seems to have such a saucy connotation that nobody wants to explain why it's not a good name. I myself don't see anything wrong with this name. Any ideas ?

March 27, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

My father's last name is 陳。 He didn't marry my mom, who wasn't Chinese. My Chinese given name is 龍碩。 My last name is "Rey" or "King" in Spanish, so is my 性“王”嗎？

April 1, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

sorry, accidentally pressed the ENTER button... or could I use 陳 from my dad?

April 1, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says hitokiri6993 ： I think you can follow your father's last name 陈。 April 1, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

lujiaojie: 真的嗎？多謝

April 1, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

哪個性更好?陳龍碩還是王龍碩?

April 1, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says hitokiri6993 我们不说哪个姓好，哪个姓不好。姓是一个家庭的代号。我们一般都用爸爸的姓。 April 2, 2008 from the Web.

zeoblade says

you can spend such a long time choosing a good name like so many parents every day do. i met someone from usa who chose his name of 朋友。i felt so embarassed for the guy, what was he thinking?? people choose the most stupid names in chinese to call themselves

April 2, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

lujiaojie: 好,謝謝. :)

April 2, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

My real name is Luke. My new Chinese "girl" friend and I were sitting on the swings on Sunday and we were talking about how she picked her English name. Then we decided to choose a Chinese name for me. We decided simply on lu4 ke4 which I think she said means (lu4)street (ke4)over.. so basically "bridge" or something to that effect. Can someone confirm this for me and also how to write it with traditional characters. Xie-xie

April 8, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

I had another idea.. my name is hebrew meaning "Light", hence why my username is light487. Perhaps I could find something in Chinese that would work as a meaning of Light. Light as in the opposite of dark not the opposite of heavy. May be something that means "to shed light" or "to make bright" or "to bring light".. or may be more metaphorical where the darkness is a lack of knowledge or ignorance.. or perhaps the darkness is evil/badness.. Something cool! :) haha.. I was born in year of Dragon.. so may be something cool that incorporates this too.. I don't know.. lù kè will do for now until I can come up with something better. :)

April 8, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

hi light487: here's how you write lu4ke4 in 繁體字：路克 Good luck in finding a Chinese name.加油！！！

April 11, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

I actually found a way to write it that has a little coolness to it and all that stuff that I wanted. I wrote it as 璐刻 in my bio. The first character is pronounced lu4 and the second ke4 but the meaning is a lot different than the obvious meaning of the original lu` ke` I had before. As far as I can make out, the first character here means jade and the second means "to carve" or "carving".. so.. unless I have grossly misunderstood the characters.. I could make my name mean Jade Carving.. which is kind of cool.. and as auntie68 pointed out, using the first character 璐 makes it more obvious that I am expressing my name, rather than a word or phrase.

April 11, 2008 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

That's cooler than the lu4 ke4 used for transliteration.:)

April 11, 2008 from the Web.

luzdelmundo says

I'm just trying to explore the possibilities here - does anyone have a suggestion how I could express my name in Chinese? My surname is Tirón, and I'd like to incorporate the syllables " B* " and " AN " in my first name. ;-) Thanks in advance.

April 13, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says luzdelmundo I think 泰博安 Tài Bó ān is good name for you. April 14, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Hi Amber, Was wondering if you had any ideas for a Chinese name for a couple of my sons friends. I took a Chinese language class a couple of years ago and my son who at the time was 4 years old would come with me and the instructor gave us both Chinese names. Mine is 裴凱達 (pei2kai3da2) and my sons is 裴凱育 (pei2kai3yu4). Well the class was cancelled after one semester due to lack of funds and we have both been continuing our lessons exclusively through Chinese Pod. Anyway my son has been sharing his new language with a couple of friends and they have asked me to help them get Chinese names too. Well as discussed through out this discussion it isn't as easy as it looks. Seems you either try to find names that sound like the English name which probably aren't names at all and would more than likely not make since. Or try to pick a name that reflects your personality or interest like the Native American people did when they gave Kevin Costner the name "Dances with Wolves" in the movie of the same name. I am sure that one of my sons friends would love to have the name "Fire Dragon" or something similar but don't think that is a common Chinese name. So I have tried on my own to pick names for his friends to no avail. Amber would you or any of the staff have any suggestions for us. We would like less common unique names but still names that would be considered traditional Chinese names. The kids last names are Gardner and the first names are Dallin (boy age 13), Joshua (boy age 11), Brookly (girl age 7).

April 16, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi rarefruit ： boy's name : 高云龙 Gāo Yúnlóng 高云飞 Gāo Yúnfēi girl's name : 高云溪 Gāo Yúnxī I hope you like them. April 17, 2008 from the Web.

julio says

Hi everyone I'm filling the Chinese Visa form and I came across the "Chinese name" field. I've always thought of getting one but now it's urgent. Could you tell me whether the names bellow are viable or just plain ridiculous? The thing is I need two names, one for me and one for my father and we both go by the name of "JULIO SILVEIRA", but his middle initial is "O" and mine is "M". So I thought of 巨狸奥 (Ju Li Ao) and 巨俐门 (Ju Li Men). "Great mysterious fox"? "Great cleverness gates"? I hope these doesn't sound as bizarre as in translation...

April 17, 2008 from the Web.

blackdog says

I study Mandarin and Japanese, so the hanzi/kanji I use for my first name is based of the Japanese pronuaciation. For my surname, I just translated it. Matthew Knight = 魔鷲騎士 or 魔鹫骑士魔鷲 = mashuu, Devilish Eagle` 騎士＝ kishi, Knight 魔鹫 = Mo2 jiu4 骑士 = qi2 shi4

April 17, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi julio: 巨狸奥 (Ju Li Ao) and 巨俐门 (Ju Li Men) sound a little bit strange. I think you can use 林lin2 as a famliy name, so 林立豪 for you, and 林立萌 for your father. Hope you like! April 17, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi julio: 林立豪 Lín Lìháo 林立萌 Lín Lìméng April 17, 2008 from the Web.

julio says

Thank you very much Lujiaojie I loved the given names, but I think I'll go for 周 for surname. It sounds more like "Ju" in Portuguese... How does it sound? 周立豪周立萌

April 18, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Hi Lujiaojie, Love the names you picked. Can you tell me what meaning if any they have. Thanks, alex

April 18, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Well I thought the Gao was really cute but not so sure about the kids. Could I have maybe a two more options for a surname just incase. I want them to be as excited as my son is about his name so if they had a choice the three of them could agree on for the sam surname then I think they would claim ownership of the name and thus be more involved. Thank you, alex (rarefruit)

April 18, 2008 from the Web.

mayalarara says

Thank you for your suggestion lujiaojie I really like the name, I just wonder whether 博安 is indeed a feminine name, as the translation indicates.

April 19, 2008 from the Web.

mayalarara says

Ah, sorry, It's me, luzdelmundo, I didn't want to confuse you. I had to register again, using another name, since I had forgotten the password of my email address (!), which is be really inconvenient since I use the alert mails to get to the latest lessons. I'm not trying to use the free trial again, I'll stick with the audio in the future.

April 19, 2008 from the Web.

mayalarara says

I don't want to spam this brilliant discussion, but would 碧安 or 裨安 also be ok, or are they weird? bi an would be much closer to one of my given names. (And scratch that "be" in the third sentence of my last post. If only there were an edit function...)

April 19, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi julio: 周立豪 and 周立萌 sound perfect! I think "SILVEIRA" is your family name, so I chose "林" ( means "forest"). April 21, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi mayalarara: 博安——This name is more neutral--it could be a male or female name. 碧安 is indeed a feminine name, it sounds great! 裨安 is alittle bit strange. April 21, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

I am now the proud owner of a proper Chinese name! Yay! :) Finally! :) 路加 - Lù jiā (Luke)

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

mayalarara says

@light Coincides with the Evangelist. ;-)

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

chanelle77 says

Hi All, Can someone tell me something about this name please ? My Ayi translated my (unpronouncable) Dutch name (Marjolein) to this: 马秋琳. I have a general idea what it means, but I would like to know if it is ok / safe to use in daily life :-). Thx!

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

:) It is good name because I am Christian too and that is what my parents named me after.. so it is perfect name because it does not disrespect my parents' choice of name and is not something I just made up, it's something I searched for and found.. it's just perfect. :)

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

julio says

Lujiaojie You're right! I was wondering why you suggested 林 and I had I guess you had done some research. Great job! Very few Portuguese-speaking people can track "Silveira" down to "from the woods" since it's a bygone Latin prefix. "Forest/ 林" is perfect. 很谢谢

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says Hi rarefruit ： The kids last names are Gardner, so I suggest 高 gāo、郭 guō、顾 gù for surname. April 21, 2008 from the Web.

auntie68 says

Dear lujiaojie, I have a delicate question for you. Please don't be shy to answer it frankly! Did my parents accidentally give me a Chinese name that is back-to-front? I am female, my personal name is 玉仁 (yu4ren2). Neither parent could speak any Mandarin, let alone read Chinese characters. I am told that the name was chosen by my mother's father, who was highly literate in Classical Chinese (he actually was preparing for the exam to become "官" before switching to engineering). I think my name is back-to-front because nearly everybody I meet (including many of my primary school teachers!) tell me that my name is incorrect, it should be 仁玉. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me. Even if my name is wrong, I am happy with it because it was chosen by my grandfather.

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says HIi auntie68: 玉仁 is a perfect name, it's right. but I think it is more neutral as my grandfather's name is 怀仁 huáirén. April 21, 2008 from the Web.

auntie68 says

lujiaojie, thank you so much! I agree with you that 玉仁 is a bit ambiguous, gender-wise. My primary school Chinese teachers really didn't like the name; there was one who used to deliberately change it to "仁玉" during the 点名 (dian3ming2; roll-call), EVERY morning!

April 21, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says auntie68：不客气！ My name is 骄杰, this is absolutely a boy's name, but I like it very much! Sometimes I use 娇杰 to avoid someone ask me why I chose a boy's name. That's so funny! 呵呵！ April 21, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Thanks lujiaojie the kids love their names. Just so I don't make a mistake in translation, can you tell us what the meanings are for each of their names. Thanks again, alex, caillou, brookly, josh, dallin

April 22, 2008 from the Web.

Team

lujiaojie says

Hi rarefruit ：云龙 Yúnlóng 龙 means dragon . It's mysterious, powerful and righteous. A Chinese icon. 云 means clouds. It's free and poetic. It is a nice balance to the machonistic 龙. Paired together, it is a great name in terms of both sound and meaning. 云飞 Yúnfēi 飞 ---fly Maybe everyone have a dream of flying. 云飞 means you can fly high. You're natural/ unrestraine/ excellent! 云溪 Yú xī 溪---brook Brook is gentle and soft, peaceful and beautiful. It's so lovely! 云溪 means a girl free like cloud and beautiful like a brook!

April 22, 2008 from the Web.

Team

lujiaojie says

April 22, 2008 from the Web.

maozhou says

What do you think of my Chinese name? It is Mao Zhou. Like the two Chinese leaders Mao and Zhou. My given name is Joseph or Joe to my friends. My surname is a long Irish name that begins with Mon so its kind of close to Mao and Mao Zhou is very easy to remember. What do you all think? Please be candid.

April 23, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says maozhou : 毛周 is perfect! 周 means thoughtful/attentive /satisfactory! April 23, 2008 from the Web.

light487 says

wo3 chuang4ban4 wang3zhi3 le: http://www.mandarintools.com/chinesename.html ta1 shi4 hen3 hao3!! I hope I said all the pinyin correctly! :)

April 23, 2008 from the Web.

mengless says

Is 龙神媛 a good name for a girl?

May 7, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says hi mengless, Yes that's a great name for a girl. May 7, 2008 from the Web.

skabadelic says

I tried chosing my own Chinese name and came up with: 家没 My Chiense friends insist that it's no good. =[ they've labled me: 吉米

May 7, 2008 from the Web.

skabadelic says

OH! My name is Jamie, btw.

May 7, 2008 from the Web.

joannah says

I found somewhere online that my english name, Joanna, can be changed into chinese as 乔安(qiáo'ānnà) does anyone know what this means and whether it would be an appropriate choice of chinese name?

May 20, 2008 from the Web.

davester says

I would like to know how my Chinese name - 孔达伟 - sounds to a native Chinese speaker. Because its a transliteration it doesn't sound like an authentic Chinese name to me. I really like the surname 孔, but I'm not sure about the 达伟. What do you think?

May 26, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says davester : 孔达伟 is a perfect chinese name! May 26, 2008 from the Web.

cloud9 says

Hi Lujiaojie
I've been trying to get a chinese name for a while and I have to admit it's quite hard since I'm trying to balance ear-pleasing sounds, simplicity in characters and proper meaning. Initially I tried to translate the meaning of my native name into chinese, it was not obvious especially it's quite uncommon. The literal equivalent of it would be 卫民驯化. Howerver the funny part is that my surname also sounds like "deamon", so my chinese friends nicknamed me 卫鬼 which does rhyme and is somewhat teasing. Someone else suggested at some point 卫维 which is the same sound repeated twice and would be easier to remember.

My other alternative was to come up with something totally different like 暢高翔 which is perhaps closer to my personality and because I love hang-gliding. Ideally it would be something which matches my translated english name, but i realize it may not be feasible. Should I keep my nickname? Any thoughts on this?

May 28, 2008 from the Web.

Team

lujiaojie says

cloud9:

I think 卫维 is a great name , you can keep this one.

May 28, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Hi Lujiaojie,

A while back you helped me with 3 Chinese names for some friends of my son. Well their other two brothers would like Chinese names also. The names you picked so far are boy's name : 高云龙 Gāo Yúnlóng 高云飞 Gāo Yúnfēi and girl's name : 高云溪 Gāo Yúnxī. I need two more boy names one aged 9 first name Brennen and the other boy age 5 first name Jarom. Again they are all the same family so we can still use Gāo Yún.

Thank you,

裴凱達

June 19, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Hello again,

I forgot to ask one other favor. When you pick the other two names would also give me the meanings like you did last time. That was very meaningful and greatly appreciated,

Thank you,

裴凱達

June 24, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says rerefruit: 高云鹏 péng 鹏 is a kind of fabulous (mythical) giant bird that has great strength and ideals. 云鹏 sounds like a wonderful boy's name. 高云升 shēng 升 means rise or ascend, 云升 means the boy will have a beautiful future. June 24, 2008 from the Web.

eva_lu says

My name is Eva and my surname starts with Lu. I have been suggested to use 陆爱娃 as a Chinese name. Not sure this is good, though. I have been suggested 伊娃 as well, but don't like the 伊 bit very much!

June 25, 2008 from the Web.

rarefruit says

Thank you,

You don't know how helpful you have been.

Can you tell us if the characters in the names are traditional or simplified?

We were also wondering if you have an opinion on which is best to learn, traditional or simplified. The instructor I had really felt that it was important to learn both and it didn't seem so hard in the classroom. However now that the class has been cancelled and I have to learn on my own I am wondering if it would be smarter for me to only concentrate on one. I don't know if I would ever have the opportunity to visit China so for now the only place I get to practice speaking, reading and writing my Chinese is with others here in the USA.

What do you think?

Gratefully,

裴凱達

June 25, 2008 from the Web.

roacher says

Great episode, not sure where to start with my name though... Richard Frost, can anyone help? :)

June 25, 2008 from the Web.

kimiik says

@ Richyfrost, Maybe 双里茶 for the fun explanation you will have to give every time. ;o)

June 25, 2008 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says rarefruit: The characters in the names are simplified. In the mainland, we learn simplified character at school and you can see simplified character everywhere. June 25, 2008 from the Web.

roacher says

@kimiik thanks, what does that mean exactly though! :p

July 9, 2008 from the Web.

kevinbla says

hey,

my friend from Taiwan gave me the name 凯文 (Kǎi wén) because my english name is Kevin. Though his english isn't very good so he couldnt explain what it means. Can anyone tell me what it means and if its a good name?

August 11, 2008 from the Web.

Team	amber says hi kevin, 凯 means triumphant and victorious 文 means cultured or civil so it's a pretty good name! August 11, 2008 from the Web.

kevinbla says

awsome, thanks amber :)

August 11, 2008 from the Web.

shilena says

As far as names go I really don't know what would be best for me to go with. The best transliteration that I have found is shi4lou2 (to reveal logic if I translated correctly) But the meaning for my name is peaceful, so I thought about tai4ping2. What do you think is better to go with? Also, since I am married would my maiden name or married name be used? (both are long) Would I only use the first character of it for the name? bu {maiden} or fu {married}.

October 30, 2008 from the Web.

Team

lujiaojie says

shilena:

shi4lou2 and tai4ping2 both are a little bit weird.

I think 晓莲(xiǎolián) is good for you.
晓 has two meanings: one means 'dawn', the other is 'intelligence, insightful', daybreak is also quiet and peaceful.
莲 is lotus, it's pure and beautiful, and sounds like your English name.

Usually we use our maiden name, so you can use 卜 (bǔ).

October 30, 2008 from the Web.

shilena says

to lujiaojie:

Thank you so very much! I can see why you need help finding a name!

I have only just begun learning Mandarin, but I think I am in love with it. One of my goals being to become a teacher (specifically a linguistics teacher and teacher of English as a second language) I have wanted to find a name to use as I continue to study this amazing language and culture.

Thank you again.

Xiao3 lian2

November 3, 2008 from the Web.

changbiyuan says

Great show!

Interesting that you refer to 煎饼 (jiān bǐng) as a breakfast food... I guess I did see them being made when I was on morning bike rides. But to the few foreigners around where I was, they were, along with 肉加莫 (ròu jiā mò), more of a candidate for drunken late night snacks. There was a guy with a cart on the street corner near my apartment, making both those delicacies until 2 or 3 am. When talking about him we'd call him Roger Moore, based on that being what a friend of mine would say through his early China days in order to get a 肉加莫.

As for names, I'll probably have to change my name to something less silly than this one if I ever go back to China... I just wanted to get away from the (albeit accurately transliterated) 欧文 that I went by at first.

November 27, 2008 from the Web.

kelinsheng says

我叫柯临圣。

That's the chinese name my instructor gave me.

January 2, 2009 from the Web.

japchinman says

Help me! can anyone think of a good Chinese Name for me? My name is Don (or Donald, Donny), any suggestions? 我的中文名字是。。。 (Please help me finish my sentence!) :)

January 15, 2009 from the Web.

calkins says

japchinman, how about 日颏人 rì kērén ;-)

January 15, 2009 from the Web.

japchinman says

seems a little strange... day, chin , person?

January 16, 2009 from the Web.

bababardwan says

japchinman,

If I may shed some light.I think Calkins was not giving a Chinese name for Don,Donald,or Donny ,but rather for your username japchinman,breaking it down into jap ...chin...and man

日 from 日本 for Japan

颗 for chin

人 for man

January 16, 2009 from the Web.

microsofttcl says

安全建议，中文名字?

January 16, 2009 from the Web.

japchinman says

Oh, I see! interesting.

I knew something got lost there...

The suggestion was appreciated

January 16, 2009 from the Web.

changye says

Hi japchinman,

"Donald" is commonly transliterated as "唐纳德" (tang2na4de2), so "Donald Duck" is called "唐老鸭" (= 唐纳德老鸭子) in China. As far as I can see on the Internet, "Don" seems to be transcribed as "丹" (dan1) in Chinese.

January 17, 2009 from the Web.

japchinman says

Cool! Thanks alot cahngye, sounds good. I never thought about Donald Duck till reading your post

January 18, 2009 from the Web.

japchinman says

I found this list of popular given names...

I wanted to ask, do alot of people just add two symbols together to make a name or do they only use certain ones?

for instance I picked two from the list, would it be a normal name in China =东毅 dong1yi4 ?

January 18, 2009 from the Web.

suxuelian07 says

I also need a little insight on my Chinese name. Back home in the states, my teacher named me 雪蓮 (xue3 lian2) because my English name is Jillian. The meaning is Snow Lotus and my boyfriend informs me it is also a kind of plant. I am fond of the name but my teacher who gave it to me was from Mainland. Here in Taiwan, people often giggle a bit at the name and tell me it's "old school." So, I guess I'm at a loss. Should I keep my old school name, 雪蓮 or change it to something more suitable? To native Chinese... does this name sound funky? o_O Thanks a lot for any insight!

January 18, 2009 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says japchinman: 东毅 dong1yi4 is OK. People often pick two symbols together to make a name. January 18, 2009 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says suxuelian07: I think 雪莲 is pretty good. January 18, 2009 from the Web.

suxuelian07 says

Thanks! ;D

February 27, 2009 from the Web.

ellina says

How would one translate Elina into Chinese in general and/or specifically?

On a side note, I heard Chinese novels have a general rule in which the main characters' names (as in a couple) have to match up to make it more pleasing to the ear?

I'm actually writing a story in Chinese so it pertains to what I want to name people or things in there.

March 7, 2009 from the Web.

beijingstrong says

Hi ellina

Ellina can be directly translated into “易丽娜”Li4 li4na4.

易 is family name.

丽娜 is given name keeping the English pronunciation and representing a beautiful and slim girl’s figure.

March 8, 2009 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

Can these names be good?

陳美妍

陳嘉茵

陳秀娟

April 22, 2009 from the Web.

Team	lujiaojie says hitokiri6993：很好！Great! April 22, 2009 from the Web.

hitokiri6993 says

謝謝妳！

April 23, 2009 from the Web.

ddc1969 says

Hello all, I know this is a late post considering but I am a newbie. That post by jpvillanueva on the JianBing video made me so hungry. Also, I just started listening to DA and learned she has moved to New York. Good luck Amber and I love the show.

David

August 23, 2009 from the Web.

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Published:	January 18, 2008

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