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Posts: 2381

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Q: How do you choose an English name for a Chinese person?

I occasionally have to give names to new students, I assume this is a fairly common thing for people to do at schools. I'm never given time to get to know a kid and then name then, nor do I get to find out anything about them so I can't give them a name based on any serious thought. 

 

So far I've just named them after family members (god help the kids if they turn out like some of my family...)  and after that I'm planning to move onto university flatmates. Then I think I'll move onto favorite characters from books. 

 

What do you take into consideration when naming your students? Do you take it seriously or are you tempted to have a little fun, sometimes?

12 years 4 days ago in  Teaching & Learning - China

 
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Posts: 1091

Shifu

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try finding a similar one all real western names have translated meaning eastern people just assume they do not very racist 

Jíliú.hé:

try naming one Whitey now that is real funny name

12 years 4 days ago
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12 years 4 days ago
 
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I just call them all "sparky"

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12 years 4 days ago
 
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I often find that when I look at a person, I can think of a name fairly quickly. Once I named a girl after hearing her Chinese name and instantly thought of a similar English name, although usually I do not know their Chinese name. If they are a friend, despite thinking of a name quickly, I will go online and look through names, but usually end up giving the name I thought of in the first place. I try to give names that aren't the common ones chosen in China. I actually don't like people asking me, because then they will bug me and I think it takes time to pick the right name. I find it more difficult to name a guy than a girl, because there are more good girl names.

 

I would never give a silly name, because I would not feel happy if someone gave me a funny Chinese name. I feel especially bad for little children, because their parents tend to name them, and it ends up being something like Cherry or Sunny or Smiley. Recently there's even kids named Boots and Toto at my part time job. I'd love to give them a real name, but I don't think it's my place to do that. I also find it funny when students choose names for themselves, and it's not even an English name. I know a guy named Vidge, which he says rhymes with "bridge," but it actually doesn't. People do poke fun at his name (including me) but when he said he thought about changing it, I told him not to, because it does fit him, and I'm pretty sure no one else in China will have that name.

 

Some people are good at giving names, others aren't. Maybe you should make a list of normal or good names and keep it at hand in case someone asks you?

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12 years 4 days ago
 
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pick a name from the hilarious names posts.

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12 years 4 days ago
 
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Governor

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If they're women, call them "Sunny."

 

 

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12 years 4 days ago
 
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Similar to Jnus, but I choose names based (mostly) on their Chinese name - but not the very common ones.

For example, I had a class with a Shelly and a Sheddy... they kept getting confused when I called out their name, so I chose one for Sheddy - Sapphire. It's pretty rare, but not weirdly strange. Similarly, Sherry has become Sheridan (IIRC, both are Xiao..)

Wen XiWen became Arwen... instead of the boringly obvious Wendy.

And, instead of the standard Angel or Angela, I chose Angelique.

MissA:

Arwen! I've got my new theme: LOTR characters. I'm totally calling a kid Frodo next weekend!

12 years 1 day ago
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12 years 4 days ago
 
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Governor

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Use the force, Luke

 

If the force has having an off day think fruit, seasons or weather

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9 years 46 weeks ago
 
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