This was super helpful! Not because I'm thinking of adopting a Chinese name. Instead, it satisfied my burning curiosity about how someone with German / Russian and Jewish heritage ended up with the name "Andong". Now I understand!
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can offer me
Hi Andong, good cultural comments but your "background music" was overwhelming.... Better if there was none or tuned down like 3 fold. Sorry, i like many of your videos a lot
Hey! Thank you so much, this video helped me find a name related to mine but that it's still decent haha. My professor said I did a good job! My Chinese name is 江心怡
My real name is Jakob. So i came up with 江勇(Jiāng Yǒng). I have no idea how close i came with this transcription but i like the meaning and the sound (as far as i can tell). But i dont really have a clue about the chinese language so i will ask some of my chinese friends for adwise
This is the best video about choosing a Chinese name I've seen (and I've seen 7 others). I started with the name 高理. It sounds like "Crowley", my family was tall, and I do software. Then I saw an article discouraging 2-character names. I like 高天棋 -- Tian sounds like Ted, and I play games. Until I watched this video, I couldn't decide between these two names. But you suggest picking a 2-char name and explain why. Makes sense to me. Thanks!!
wait, to what level is the chinese name official? what about the documents which have an english name? how would chinese name play a role in official situatiions, etc?
I've been trying to find a Chinese name for myself and I've been going back and forth between things and I think I've settled on 佟笑. I like how it looks and sounds, and it just feels right to me. I would like to know some native speaker's opinions though :)
I’m adopted from China and my name was 南民媚 (Nan MinMei) But I’m trans so I don’t want to use 媚. Do 南民 sound weird? And I found a character I like that is 明 (Ming) so can I use 南民明 if that’s better?
hey Min! China does not have the surname "南", and even if it does, there are very few. So your name "南xx" would be a bit unrealistic to listen to, not very good. If you want a good Chinese name, you can contact me (Chinese native). Skype: jessie_hf03@outlook.com
I disagree with the last comment since 南 is a legit surname. The problem is 媚, which really is not a legit modern name for any gender. 南民 looks like a noun (meaning southern people) rather than a name. 南民媚 looks like “Southerners are sexy” in classical Chinese, which would be absurd. 南明 is the name for the Han regime in Southern China after Ming dynasty in Beijing was torn down by peasant rebels. So I suggest you to add another word between 南 and 明. If you are a FtM, I would suggest 南奕明. That would be a legit name with a sense of smart. If you are a MtF, I would suggest 南思明. That would be a legit name with a sense of smart in a feminine vibe.
@@annilong6386 Reading this two years later and oh wow “Southerners are sexy” yeesh they really gave me a wonderful name huh... I should probably just get a new Chinese name all together sigh... I’m FtM and have gone with the western name Max the last years, still have Min as a middle name though, I really like Min but maybe I could find a better character then the one meaning people...
It sounds like "pretty smart sweet" to me.Too much adjectives I think 英甜 is fine. or you can try this "颖甜" It sounds similar and means similar to "英甜" but much better
Do not connect 美 and 英 because these two combined are always associated with America and Britain. You do not want to sound like the two biggest bullies in the world when you like 甜, which is sweetness. To hear this name in Chinese was like China-Soviet sweetheart in English... And there is no such surname as 美英 in China, so in their instinct they understand 美英 as the two countries and not the real meaning of the characters.
I disagree with Tip 6 of using Chinese surnames. I think especially for Chinese people, surnames are a form of association. In the past, you see that people with the same surname should not get married. Adopting a Chinese surname is immersing yourself into that clan. Nothing wrong with immersing yourself with Chinese culture. But I think people would be weirded out by the fact that you have that Chinese surname. Similar to Chinese people using English names, with the exception of marriage and adoption, most people just transliterate their Chinese surname. I appreciate that it is most likely impossible to translate a foreign surname into Chinese. Personally, I think for a non-Chinese speaker, it is more than acceptable to just use given names in Chinese (i.e. two characters) and not have a Chinese surname.
Personally I think it's fine because I don't exactly associate surnames with clans, especially with common surnames. Having a Chinese surname gives the name a complete feeling, but yeah I guess you can go off without one. It's just that it might be awkward because you wouldn't use your surname (in another language) in conjunction with your Chinese name...? I dunno.
初級 is the "beginner" definition (literally beginning level) of "Junior" (as opposed to a younger version) so I would advise against it. I think the most common name to translate "Junior" in a name is to add the character "小“ in front of the name (eg Robert Downey Jr is 小勞勃·道尼, pronounced xiao laobo daoni)
my name is "Mahum Yaqub", mahum means moon light. I choose a chinese name for me "Yu Ming Ai" which means "bright love". please give me some suggestions
@@hirbod221 in chinese mind, this word is pretty cool. but as a name, it sounds weird. and some chinese maybe think you are a japanese for this name , because it is also a famous japanese family name in china.
I have a few questions. 1. WHY would one NEED a Chinese name? 2. How would a name like Jill Wouters be translated? (female) My given name is Jill, coming from Gillian or Juliana, and means youthful. But my surname, Wouters is a patronym of Wouter, Walter, which, apparently means general, leader of an army. But I don't really see myself that way. I'm very much at the beginning of my journey, right now I'm using just apps and see how I like studying Chinese.
1. If one were to live in China or a Chinese-speaking region in general, having a Chinese name would be pretty necessary just to get by in life. Of course, one could always simply transliterate their name into Chinese, but it could make them seem less approachable because having a transliterated name is almost always a blaring sign above one's head screaming "FOREIGNER", as Andong says in the video. So, having a Chinese/Sinicized name while communicating with Chinese speakers allows a person to be more approachable to the target audience, and in a sense, immerse themselves into the culture better. 2. Assuming you want a name corresponding to Mandarin Chinese, I suggest 'Wǔ Zīlì'. 武 (Wǔ) is a relatively common surname in Chinese - it's the 93rd most common surname in Mainland China (2019) and the 130th most common surname in Taiwan (2018). It means "military" or "martial", which is similar to the meaning behind your surname etymology. It also sounds somewhat similar to your surname if pronounced in Mandarin. 姿 (Zī) means "manners" or "posture"; note that the Mandarin pinyin 'z' is pronounced similarly to "ts". 瓅/𬍛 (Lì) means "lustre of pearl", 麗/丽 (Lì) means "beauty", and 儷/俪 (Lì) means "married couple" or "couplet, a form of poetry". I personally can't decide between these three. A fair warning, it doesn't sound quite as similar in Cantonese, or (I presume) other Chinese regional tongues. Of course, there are plenty of other Chinese characters out there with nice meanings that can be used in names, but that list is too long for me to list here TBH. Admittedly, as a Cantonese first-language speaker and a Mandarin third-language speaker, I have my biases towards my mother tongue, but I hope this helps, however late the reply may be.
Could someone help me create a chinese name? （girl） I would like to have a 2 character name. I found some characters I really like, but don’t know if they can be used. Or how to combine them (to sound good and feel like a normal name). The characters I like most are: 静 智 雪 兰 夜 珍 Other possible characters：玉 徐 安 宁 哲 I’d really appreciate your help. Thanks in advance.
Since you like sun shine, I pick up a surname 孙（sun）for you, use 孙 with any word you pick would make perfect Chinese names except 徐 (usually a surname) 夜 (no body name their kids after “night”) and 智 (sounds funny with 孙, but not necessarily with other surnames). If you are male, I recommend 孙哲、孙玉. If you are female I would recommend 孙静、孙雪、孙兰. But in general 孙哲、孙玉 sounds better.
can someone please tell me if 林洋 is an okay name? my first name is actually pronounced like 林 and it seems nice to have ocean as a given name, fits with my profile picture as well haha
Imo it's fine, especially if you like the meaning. But I'm by no means not an expert at names. I wouldn't be weirded out if anyone was named that though.
@CG I don't speak for all people, obviously, but I would avoid picking 俊俏 and 笑意 because they are existing phrases if you know what I mean. It kind of feels like naming yourself 'handsome' or 'smile' in English. Will anyone stop you? Sure, but it doesn't feel like a name to me. As for the rest - I think 慧琳 is a more common name so you can't really go wrong with it. I don't really know how I feel about the others, but don't take this to mean that I don't like them/they feel weird.
Hey, I asked if the name 秦小梦 sounded to much like a girls name (and the answer was yes) and being a boy I want to know if there is a way to either make it sound more like a boys name, or maybe just...... use the name anyways??
On this topic, the choice to use "My name is Andong" as your RU-vid name ignores a subtlety in American English: It can be easily misinterpreted to mean you are attempting to brag about your "dong" in bad English.
Names have meanings, so wouldn't it make more sense to have the name represent the same meaning? For example my name "Keith" means "wood" or "forest dweller". It would seem LIN 林 is a common surname, so the fullest version "forest dweller" would be LIN JUMIN 林居民。I don't like this so much though, I prefer LIN SHUMU 林树木, literally "forest tree wood", or when shortened, SHUMU 树木 "tree wood" or "trees" - or even just MU 木, "wood".
Non of these make legit Chinese names. 林树 is relatively more legit. btw 林居民 is a weird translation of forest dwellers. I would suggest you to consider a combination of meaning and sound. For example 林琦
haha no bro, unlike western cultures where people tend to pick conventional names that have been used for generations, chinese names encourage creativity (and of course appropriateness). if you choose those which are frequently used, trust me that's not a wise move.
@@annilong6386 ah thnak you, one person recommended the name 沈流南 as I'm a SriLankan and SriLanka is located in the south direction of china so there is “南” so the meaning is a river flowing towards the south part, is this name good?
@@Pradhi_R I would also not recommend this name because 流 has a connotation with exile in Chinese so 流南 would look like exiled to the south. You could use 沈锡南 to hint your country in your name. 锡兰 is the name of your country in Ancient China.
Ernthir you sure about 戮 is the character？if so, i strongly suggest you change it to 陆 鹿禄 璐. These all pronounce the same as lu but have better meaning
Azubi Hi, usually we use 老灵魂（lǎo líng hún）for “old spirit”, but I’m afraid that’s not a decent name 😄. You could use it for a nickname or something, I like the meaning of it.
All of my friends call me Jūnhào, BUT I’m still working on the 한자 (forgot what it’s called in Mandarin). So there is no meaning to my name which is why I’m here
@@azubi5510 Well, it's quite weird. You could use this one as your name, but listeners would feel hard to decipher. what are you trying to convey through your Chinese name?
now my name is 夏星 (summer star) because my english name is "patrick" and patrick is the star from spongebob haha. also, i am a city pop, vaporwave and synthwave lover, and these musical genres have a very strong summer vibe =)
No, please. 🤦🏻♂️ I find it super weird for foreigners to use Chinese names, especially the family name part. I mean, wtf..? A Chinese family name? Cringy... 🤦🏻♂️
I was wondering what Chinese people actually think about this subject! I heard a lot that it’s helpful to have a Chinese name if your going to China. Do you think it’s appropriate if your staying in China for a while, or do you think it’s just plain cringy no matter what?
Vixon T the Chinese family part is super cringy. Most Chinese people who has an English name only has an English first name, but imagine a Chinese person telling you his name is, instead of James Chen, but James Johnson. WTF?! 🤦🏻♂️isn’t that weird?! I think the most natural way is to have your English name translated into Chinese phonetically. If you get yourself a Chinese name, just don’t include a Chinese family name. Names like Andong is perfectly fine, but Wang Andong will be weird...
I feel it's cultural appropiation, honestly. You are not chinese. Stop using chinese names. Changing it phonetically? It's OK, just makes communication easier. Changing it into another different name? It's a bit racist that I'm being mocked off when I use my Chinese name but for you whities (occidentals not born chinese, but I've seen it mostly on caucasians) it's 'exotic' and 'aesthetic'. Stop it. It's just annoying and cringy. It's like the people who pretend to be asian and get those surgeries. Stop 👏 it 👏 it's 👏 cultural 👏 appropiation 👏 (besides, stop fetishizing us, thank you very much)
