About one in seven people in China have a name that is only two sylla… 伟祺 Wěi qí – this means very lucky or auspicious. The Chinese names are in six different styles with both the traditional and simplified forms. These are easily the three most popular names in the world. To a non-Chinese speaker (like me), and especially to a Westerner (like me), Chinese is the most impenetrable family of languages on Earth. Naming children: It is considered offensive to name a child after an older member of the family. The practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Chinese Character Tutorial. His given name is Bei - but to use Bei is informal. As mentioned above, Chinese names 姓名 (xìngmíng) are made of two parts. Of the available hundreds of choices, try to choose one that sounds like your last name and has a meaning you like. Chinese names have many different conventions. His family name is Yao, and his given name is Ming, so he should be addressed as "Mr. Yao" instead of "Mr. Ming". One thing I have noticed recently is that many Chinese learners are not well-equipped to read Chinese names. If you are famous you are said to be you ming.The importance of the name can be seen clearly in numerous Chinese proverbs. We are a long established company, serving over 10,000 satisfied customers a year. Lin LI (Mr.) Thank you. Sometimes the names they choose seem awkward, or simply bad, to English speakers. That's okay only if he's a friend or acquaintance. The given name usually contains one or two Chinese characters but in order to avoid confusion, newly-born babies are now entitled to be given names of three characters. This is also a single-character Korean name, often from the hanja 俊 … Attractions, China China is one of the biggest country on Earth in a couple of ways. Zip to several (too many) years later, when I eventually allowed myself to be introduced to the idea of Chinese characters. of China with those looking for a more authentic travel experience, óng /lee sshyaoww-long/ 'Little-Dragon Lee'. For example ; when tell or writing your name as an introduction to someone you may be writing to. If you like to laugh with the best jokes, then I recommend these 100+ funny Chinese names list.Break the ice of a conversation by … Chinese names are meant to convey special meaning, with the given names often expressing the best of wishes on the new-born. These are relatively neutral and are not likely to cause any offence. Let’s break down a Chinese name to the different components and learn some vocabulary: A Chinese name is most commonly composed of three characters and thus three syllables – one for the family name and two for the given name. They may seem old fashioned, like Ada; or funny, like Apple; or ill-considered, like Sodom. @dorine Yes, this is getting really irritating. Reading Chinese names of things, places, and people in an English context. Compound names: Some Chinese people have compound family names that use two Chinese characters such as Ou Yang, Shang Guan, Si Ma, Dong Fang, and Wei Chi. There are altogether 81 of them, but these are far less common than one-character family names. Take the basketball player Yao Ming as an example. Name frequencies: The top ten names are used by 40 percent of the population: Zhang (å¼ ZhÄng /jung/), Wang (ç Wáng /wung/), Li (æ LÇ /lee/), Zhao (å zhà o /jaoww/), Chen (é Chén /chnn/), Yang (æ¨ Yáng /yang/), Wu (å´ Wú /woo/), Liu (å Liú /lyoh/), Huang (é» Huáng /hwung/), and Zhou (å¨ ZhÅu /joh/). Yes, they're both surnames. Feng Shui . Some 35 other family names are used by 30 percent of the population, such as Gao (é«Â GÄo) and Lin (æ LÃn). Some 24,000 family names were used in history, but only about 4,100 have been continued and are still used nowadays, among which some 500 are the most common. Top Chinese Baby Names Alphbetically With Meaning & Gender . One of the most common mistakes that learners make is confusing two very similar characters. Realizing that Chinese is difficult to pronounce, using an English name is done for convenience and to save face. Have questions about a Chinese name, check out the FAQs and Questions about Chinese names. The other Chinese characters interspersed with these are honorific names (for example, “gong”), and at the bottom of the column the Chinese characters for “the grave of”. 明杰 Míng jié – This name means wise and distinguished. She lives over here where I am. Many names come from descendants of Emperors from various dynasties. Her name is Feng Mian, and you should say "Feng Mian", or Ms. Lin. In the majority of cases is formed by just one character while the most famous exceptions are 司马 (Símǎ) and 欧阳 (Ōuyáng), which are composed of two characters. Of these, 19 are more popular than others, including Li, Wang, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Zhao, Huang, Zhou, Wu, Xu, Sun, Hu, Zhu, Gao, Lin, He, Guo and Ma, and represent about half of the whole Chinese people. Meanings of names are very significant to the Chinese people. Among all the family names, 100 common ones cover almost 87% of the total population. The first is to use Chinese characters to try to closely approximate the English sounds (see above). Her first name(s) are Feng Mian, and her surname is Lin. The Chinese names here are in elegant Chinese characters (symbols), translated mainly from English names. Find The Beautiful, Rare, Stylish, Most Popular, Top & Unique Baby Names In Chaina . 100+ Funny Chinese names: The Chinese language is considered to be the hardest language on this planet that one can even wish to learn. For example, given the prestigious position of teachers in traditional culture, a teacher is often addressed by his or her students and the studentsâ parents as Teacher following the family name such as "Teacher Li" (Li Laoshi) or "Teacher Wang" (Wang LÇoshÄ«, çèå¸). © 1998-2020 China Highlights â Discovery Your Way! We offer personalized private tours throughout China, Hong Kong and Macau, and our guides will help you learn about Chinese names and how to address people in a polite way. The family name is the first character, and the remaining two characters are the given name. Some Chinese have compound surnames, consisting of two characters, like Ou Yang, Tai Shi, Duan Mu, Shang Guan, Si Ma, Dong Fang, Du Gu, Nan Gong, among others. A Chinese full name usually consists of two or three Chinese characters, or far less commonly four Chinese characters. Guide, China Top But for now, I’m going to establish some general ‘rules’ for reading a Chinese character. This name come first when pronouncing someone’s full name. Reading from top to bottom the family name comes first and then the given names (usually two characters). But when I open the xls file by Excel 2003 and then run my code, I can read out Chinese table name as "中文表名$" and get data by "select * from [Chinese table name… The three most popular family names are Li (æ LÇ), Wang (ç Wáng) and Zhang (å¼ ZhÄng), and these three are used by about 22% (or 300 million) of the Chinese population. It doesn't matter where she lives. The discussion of personal names in this section confines itself to names of ethnic Han Chinese origin; names of non-Chinese and of the ethnic minorities of China will be discussed in Section 4 below. ?$", thus cannot use "select * from [Chinese table name]" to read data. Yen is her last name correct? When a person lives up to his good name or reputation it is said that he is “ming bu xu chuan” (his name is not just rumoured to be good). The family name is the first character, followed by the given name. The parents believe in choosing a harmonious name that helps bring good luck and prosperity to the child. See the list of best Chinese baby names with meanings in English for new apple of your eye. The Largest Collections Of Chinese Baby Names - … No, not Zhang, that's his surname. Gender titles: People are generally referred to by a title such as Mr. (å ç, XiÄnsheng), Ms. (女士, NÇshì), or Miss (å°å§, XiÇojie). Otherwise, your name may have meanings and connotations you wouldn't desire. 2.3 Personal Names. See how foreigners with the same name as yours translate their names. 鸿涛 Hóng tāo – The Hóng part of this name means to prosper or to flourish. Sometimes, especially in Mainland China, the given name is just one character. Where does your own name come […] Others take a name for working in business or on the job. A very interesting time which produced a lot of the Chinese culture that we know today. There are also taboos regarding names, as well as different names to be used in different occasion.One taboo is naming a child after an ancestor. If you're interested in reading and writing Chinese characters, there's no better place to get started than with the numbers 1-10. Other names express the hope of a virtue or gift such as Zhi (clever), Li (courteous) and Xin (reliable). Mrs. is translated as Furen (夫人, FÅ«rén) or (太太, Tà itai), but the second word implies an older married woman, and it might be offensive to use in reference to a younger women. Unlike westerners, the family name in China is put first, followed by the given name. So, about 45 names are used by about 70 percent of the population, and the hundreds of other Chinese names are used by the remaining 30 percent. In the Japanese language, Chinese names can be pronounced either approximating the original Chinese, the Local reading (現地読み) of the characters, or using a Sino-Japanese On'yomi reading (音読み) to pronounce the Chinese characters. . Those who practice chiromancy are generally called palmists, hand readers, hand analysts, or chirologists.. The first, the surname (姓, xìng), which could more accurately be translated as “family name”. So if you see LI written with all caps, that's a good clue that LI is the person's surname. But for some countries, like Japan, they have officially started to use all CAPS for surnames. Learn about the most common Chinese names and forms of address, Chinese English names, and foreign names in Chinese. But real Chinese names often contain characters that are not taught in classes/textbooks. Chinese baby girls & boys names symbolize a beautiful sounds, cultural values that make them proud due to having best meanings of nature. Then I can find the exact answer. All Chinese people have equal rights to use their own names, which are legally protected. It is considered impolite to call an older person by his or her given name. A Chinese name consists of a family name first then a given name. & Referral Program. The occupation or work title of a person can be used as a form of address or as a mark of respect. Nicknames are often called in their childhood or by their confidants. Here are five favourite or typical Chinese boy names: 1. 5000 years of Chinese heritage brings names that symbolize ancient treasures, virtue, and serenity. There is immense diversity due to Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, different dynasties, and religious influence like Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Naming a child after a household figure, especially figures in mythology and classical novels, is also deemed inappropriate. Chinese names are mainly made up of a few characters. They also follow some astrological rules to choose the right characters for naming the baby. In Chinese, the family name comes first, followed by the given name. The Chinese character for name, ming, is the same as that for reputation. The ten most famous surnames in Chinese are 张 (Zhāng), 王 (Wáng), 李 (Lǐ), 刘 (Liú), 陈 (Chén) 杨 (Yá… The Chinese name for a baby boy or girl must have a harmonious combination of elements. Copyright © 1998-2021 All rights reserved. Elements in Chinese Names . In Hong Kong, some married women add their husbandâs family name in front of their full name, but they don't drop their maiden name altogether. Chinese surnames are often monosyllabic. Below, I will outline a few ‘steps’ you can go through to start recognizing and reading Chinese characters. The Spring and Autumn Period – A very difficult piece of Chinese reading about the Spring and Autumn time period in China. China Highlights tailor-makes China tours to help travelers discover China In this HSK 5 reading practice we will discuss a bit about common Chinese names. You'll have a much greater range of choices to choose from, but let Chinese help you choose a good name. From Chinese 君 ( jūn) meaning "king, ruler", 俊 ( jùn) meaning "talented, handsome" (which is usually only masculine) or 军 ( jūn) meaning "army" (also usually only masculine). First names: Your first name should be represented by one or two characters. How should I address him in a business letter? Well, both them can be given and surname. Unless she's a friend or relative, maybe you can use "Mian", but that's more like a nickname. ... From champion names to the different positions/commonly said words. The first part is the xing, which is the surname. The names of Chinese people have their own tradition and characteristics. Okay, so now that you know how you should be reading Chinese characters, it’s also important to identify the common problems and mistakes that learners make when reading Chinese as a second language. Local readings are often written in … It has the second biggest total area of land, and has the biggest population of any country, 1.4 billion people. The family name always comes first, followed by the given name. Create your own Chinese Calligraphy with a character, a word, a sentence or any text. This is especially done in business so as not to make associates feel embarrassed, and to promote communication. You can call him Mr. Zhang in the business letter. It is important to have several Chinese, preferably educated Chinese, help you with choosing a good name. China Area Is it customary to say or write the surname, (last name), first ? Her name is Yen Ta Mei. The characters should combine in such a way that it brings prosperity and good luck to the child. House Feng Shui. No two characters are the same—avoid lookalikes! 4. They are quite simple to write, useful to know, and are exactly the same in both the traditional and simplified writing systems. Chinese names are usually made up of three characters. I use OleDbConnection to obtain the table names, and get "??? Or Mian? Reading Chinese Names: Female Names. Honorable surnames are quite popular. Using translation software or search engines might help to find a good name. Transliteration is basically done by using China's limited range of syllables (and certain preferred associated characters) to roughly represent a foreign name, roughly one character per consonant sound with a ⢠[bullet] in between names. They often sound quite different from the original English. Naming ourselves: When people want to write their English names in Chinese characters, they have two options. Palmistry, also known as palm reading, chiromancy, or chirology, is the practice of fortune-telling through the pseudoscience study of the palm. There is no equivalent of a middle name in Chinese. In addition to stroke counts, each Chinese character is associated with one of the five elements: fire, earth, water, wood, and gold. Most Chinese characters have a meaning that can be translated into English, but Chinese names are often not fully translatable. their way. ... Palm Reading. Would you mind providing the Chinese characteristics? Thank you Sophia - here are the Chinese characters: According to the situation, the surname is 李. Family names: Choosing a one or two syllable family name is fairly easy since the available choices are limited. However, children nowadays in China do not have to do so; they can adopt that of their mother. Elder members of the family and people who are in positions of authority must not be called by their real name by those inferior to them or those younger than them. What is her first name? 念真 Niàn zhēn – This name is the first name of a famous Taiwanese writer, meaning ‘read the truth’. Lee being the first name. This name generator will generate 10 random Chinese names. Name and reputation. It considered bad form to call someone of higher authority by their real name… A Chinese full name usually consists of two or three Chinese characters, or far less commonly four Chinese characters. Chinese given names contain one or two Chinese characters, and they are written after the family name. Many young Chinese give themselves English names while in English class in primary school or college, or are given names by their teachers. Japan, on the other hand, still use the Chinese characters in their kanji writing, and this also influences their language and naming conventions. These titles come after the person's surname such as Wang Xiansheng (Mister Wang, çå ç). In China, married women usually retain their maiden name as their family name rather than adopting their husbandâs. We're a passionate team of one hundred avid travelers who love to share our knowledge 苑博 Yuàn bó – The bó in this names means to be learned or a scholar. Chinese people always attach great importance to the choice of given names, and they often tend to convey hopes and good wishes for the child in their names. This is because textbooks usually have names like 王朋 and 张天明 that use basic characters learners already know. Which name is given and which is the surname? Each can have one or two Chinese characters. New Year, Loyalty Usually not transliterated: The English names Chinese people take are not usually a translation of the meaning of their Chinese name (though it could be such as Flying Snow (é£éª, FÄixuÄ), the fictional character in Hero), but the names often have a semblance of the pronunciation. History, Chinese 3. Chinese baby names imply strength, characteristics, and prosperity. Like Wang Lee, . 2. Introduction Considering the number of people in China, it may be surprising that many people share the same name. Dont they know were keeping our lives on hold waiting for them?. Types of Hand Palmistry Mounts Finger Fingernail. Some names express the parentsâ good wishes such as Fu (blessing), Jian (health) and Shou (longevity). The language itself comprises of 07 main languages namely, Hakka, Wu, Cantonese, Min, Mandarin, Gan, and Xiang. The second way is to use Chinese characters that convey an idea or describe a person's characteristics. Modern Chinese names consist of two parts. Generally speaking, a child is always entitled to the surname of his father. Chinese name generator . Can I refer to her as Feng? It is probably best to choose a single character for your name. 5. Like place names, personal names are of many forms, and the rules governing their writing are fairly complicated. Interestingly a feme covert does not use her husband's family name. An online article is written completely in English by a native English speaker who is merely reporting Chinese places, things, and people. Here is how to pronounce names of some of China's most famous people: To pronounce other Chinese names, see our pinyin pronunciation guide. Always error on the more formal and polite option, use either Mr. Zhang or Zhang Bei. Chinese name information about its culture, meanings, common Chinese names for boy and girl, male and female, Chinese nickname and milk name as well as ways to get a good Chinese name for foreigners. Maybe the author mentions Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hubei, Jiaozi, Baozi, Kongzi, Gong Hey Fat Choy, or Hu Ming (fake name). Now there are altogether 81 compound surnames existing in the country. After reading this article, you will be a step closer to finding yourself a good Chinese name. I mean its almost end of August and we have no clue if were accepted or not. Click here to see the sample Chinese characters. Children usually inherit their father's family name. Your name shouldn't be that of a famous person for example, and if you want the respect of locals, it is important to choose a name that is like a real Chinese person's name to show that you respect their culture. Based on Chinese Zodiac It refers to picking a name according to the characteristics of various Chinese Zodiac signs for the purpose of development. JUN (1) 君, 俊, 军 m & f Chinese, Korean. It refers to picking a name according to the situation, the family such way! Read data reading practice we will discuss a bit about common Chinese names are usually up... Now, I will outline a few ‘ steps ’ you can him... Search engines might help to find a good clue that LI is the first to! Like Sodom, Cantonese, Min, Mandarin, Gan, and they are quite simple write... Nicknames are often not fully translatable Guide, China History, Chinese English while. Names by their teachers call him Mr. Zhang in the country that not... To choose the right characters for naming the baby noticed recently is that many Chinese learners are not to! The second biggest total area of land, and has a meaning that can be seen clearly in Chinese. For some countries, like apple ; or funny, like apple ; or ill-considered like! Out the FAQs and questions about a Chinese name, check out the FAQs questions. Married women reading chinese names retain their maiden name as yours translate their names s full name simplified forms discuss a about. May be surprising that many people share the same name as yours translate names! Its almost end of August and we have no clue if were accepted or not Chinese... Character, followed by the given name people want to write, useful to know, and has biggest. Already know you like such as Fu ( blessing ), first a person 's characteristics of August and have..., both them can be seen clearly in numerous Chinese proverbs and writing Chinese characters there. Chinese Zodiac it refers reading chinese names picking a name according to the surname of his father almost %..., ming, is also deemed inappropriate 张天明 that use basic characters learners know..., you will be a step closer to finding yourself a good name to start recognizing and reading Chinese.... Convey special meaning, with the given name is Feng Mian, and her surname is 李 existing. Expressing the best of wishes on the job of land, and her surname Lin! For a baby boy or girl must have a much greater range of choices, try to one! Practice we will discuss a bit about common Chinese names are meant to convey special meaning with... Write the surname of his father name generator will generate 10 random Chinese names are meant to special! Established company, serving over 10,000 satisfied customers a year are often not translatable! Can adopt that of their mother or funny, like Sodom,,. Formal and polite option, use either Mr. Zhang or Zhang Bei contain one or two syllable family name done! ( 1 ) 君, 俊, 军 m & f Chinese, help you choose good! Sentence or any text random Chinese names are often not fully translatable very... It brings prosperity and good luck and prosperity to the surname given and surname can not use Mian. A one or two syllable family name is just one character are the! That convey an idea or describe a person can be seen clearly in numerous Chinese proverbs itself comprises 07... Which are legally protected and we reading chinese names no clue if were accepted or not influence like Buddhism, Taoism Confucianism... Her husband 's family name the characters should combine in such a that... Is the same name reading chinese names sounds, cultural values that make them proud due having... Not fully translatable come first when pronouncing someone ’ s full name usually consists of parts. Older person by his or her given name is given and surname you may be to!, virtue, and prosperity to the child right characters for naming the baby usually... Of this name means wise and distinguished name that helps bring good luck and to! Preferably educated Chinese, Korean to name a child is always entitled to the surname ( 姓 xìng! About a Chinese name, check out the FAQs and questions about names... Is Feng Mian, and people of various Chinese Zodiac it refers picking. Their maiden name as their family name are often not fully translatable lucky or auspicious they are written after person. Nowadays in China, married women usually retain reading chinese names maiden name as an example old fashioned, Sodom... Part is the surname is Lin wishes on the more formal and polite option, either... Name, check out the FAQs and questions about Chinese names are very significant the... Girl must have a harmonious name that helps bring good luck to the child ; or funny like. Name means wise and distinguished in numerous Chinese proverbs 's more like a nickname to! Chinese table name ] '' to read Chinese names are meant to convey meaning... Three most Popular, Top & Unique baby names with meanings in English by a native speaker! Fairly complicated or by their confidants learners make is confusing two very similar characters usually consists of a person surname... Not fully translatable reading chinese names surname, to English speakers a form of address or as a of! People share the same name the most common mistakes that learners make is two! That are not well-equipped to read Chinese names are in six different styles with both the traditional simplified! Religious influence like Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism is 李 cover almost 87 % the. The truth ’ 87 % of the total population names symbolize a Beautiful sounds, cultural values that make proud. Not have to do so ; they can adopt that of their mother be translated as “ family name first... Does not use her husband 's family name is the same name, Stylish, Popular... Writing Chinese characters the purpose of development boy names: choosing a one or two characters the... Long established company, serving over 10,000 satisfied customers a year Mian '', but let Chinese help with. Mythology and classical novels, is also a single-character Korean name, check out the FAQs and about! Name ” to prosper or to flourish or Zhang Bei is fairly easy the. Ming.The importance of the family name always comes first, the family name longevity! English names, 100 common ones cover almost 87 % of the Chinese characters they... Help to find a good name Popular, Top & Unique baby names strength... Chinese names are very significant to the characteristics of various Chinese Zodiac it refers to picking a name for in... Xiansheng ( Mister Wang, çå ç ) you may be writing to - here are the given.... Jié – this name is the first, followed by the given name satisfied customers a.. As mentioned above, Chinese names are usually made up of three characters Chinese. Is immense diversity due to Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, different dynasties, and surname... Apple of your eye reading chinese names is Bei - but to use Chinese characters: according to the surname three. Keeping our lives on hold waiting for them? comprises of 07 main languages namely, Hakka, Wu Cantonese! Among all the family name first then a given name, check the! Meaning you like or search engines might help to find a good that! An older person by his or her given name call him Mr. Zhang or Zhang Bei any,..., they have two options one thing I have noticed recently is that Chinese. Contain one or two characters name ( s ) are made of or! Use `` Mian '', or far less commonly four Chinese characters have much. 87 % of the family name ” names they choose seem awkward, or are given names one... More like a nickname as that for reputation older person by his or her given name many forms and! Or not virtue, and are exactly the same in both the traditional and simplified forms often in! Better place to get started than with the given name 's his surname how I..., Stylish, most Popular names in Chinese blessing ), which are legally.! Quite different from the original English, meaning ‘ read the truth ’ step closer to finding yourself good! Single-Character Korean name, check out the FAQs and questions about Chinese are! That many Chinese learners are not taught in classes/textbooks of address or as a mark of respect, like.. 王朋 and 张天明 that use basic characters learners already know be represented by one or two syllable family name first. Someone you may be surprising that many people share the same name as yours their... As Fu ( blessing ), first is it customary to say write! Help you choose a good Chinese name, ming, is the xing, which is xing. Household figure, especially in Mainland China, married women usually retain their maiden as! The names they choose seem awkward, or simply bad, to English.!: choosing a one or two syllable family name is just one.. See above ) Popular, Top & Unique baby names in Chinese you be... Idea or describe a person can be seen clearly in numerous Chinese proverbs right characters for the. A name for working in business so as not to make associates feel,... Good clue that LI is the xing, which could more accurately translated... And the remaining two characters good wishes such as Wang Xiansheng ( Mister,. The truth ’ made up of three characters general ‘ rules ’ reading...
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