![]() Picking a new name for myself on the spot? Such a life-changing decision surely requires deep thought and hours of research?! While visiting the police station to register my temporary residence permit for the first time, the woman behind the desk told me she needed my name in Chinese. Let's look at a case study, namely the path I took to find my China-side name. This method – picking characters that sound like a transliteration of own name, or thereabouts – is probably one of the easiest means to settle on a Chinese name, but also one where you must exercise caution lest you want to sound like a misplaced menu item. Ready to get started? There are a few different ways you can pick your Chinese name: Choosing a name that sounds similar to your own Choosing a Chinese name that sounds good, and which you also like and can pronounce, can be a bit of a minefield, but it can also be lots of fun and a good learning opportunity. Every character carries meaning, and proper and common nouns intermingle merrily. In Chinese, however, these rules of thumb aren't as strict. ![]() But generally, we’re pretty strict on what’s a person’s name, and what’s not. There are some exceptions to this rule, especially when Gwyneth Paltrow or Kanye West comes to town. ![]() In English, we (generally) separate proper nouns – names for people and things – and common nouns, the words we use to refer to inanimate objects and animals e.g. Elephant, Yolo, Little Dragon, Lucifer… we’ve all come across strange sounding English names that Chinese people have chosen for themselves.Ĭlearly, cultural differences are at play here. ![]()
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