Is my Chinese name okay?

[Tharushi]

Hi, guys. I'm (22F) learning Mandarin Chinese so I have to choose a Chinese name before the exams. I would really like some feedback (especially from native Chinese people).

I was thinking 瀚碧(hanbi) with 瀚 meaning ocean and 碧 meaning green jade/ bluish green. Does this sound okay? Does it have any innuendos or double meanings? Is it suitable to be a name?

 

My ethnic name in my mother tongue means new beginnings / dawn of youth. I would also accept any names you can suggest that has this meaning.

 

Please help me!!!

 

 

[Jim]

A search on the Chinese internet brought up a couple of companies that use the name; first person I found with it as their personal name was a man for what that's worth. 

[Tharushi]

first person I found with it as their personal name was a man for what that's worth

 

AH that's fine, idc about things like that. It should be good right, if he has it as his personal name

[abcdefg]

Not sure it matters, but  this name will be challenging to learn to write. I found when living in China, that I often wound up having to "finger write" my Chinese name in my palm when people didn't understand what characters I meant when I simply said it. And that was after the 北京的北 phonetic business had failed. 

[TheBigZaboon]

People are giving you good advice. If I were you, I wouldn't ignore it.

 

Maybe you don't care, and you as a female have no problem using a man's name, but think of some of the implications of using a name that runs contrary to local custom. I've seen several instances in various countries of mothers scolding or slapping their children for laughing at the name of a foreigner when it meant something inappropriate, sometimes VERY inappropriate, in the local language, and the child's reaction embarrassed the parents.

 

And think about the practicality of the name you choose. You will have to write it, either with your finger or a pen, an infinite number of times. People, and computer systems, will endlessly put you into one category or another based on your name, without any opportunity to ever meet you.

 

I let the teachers at a school I attended choose my name for me. The ensuing discussion set mainlanders against Taiwanese and South East Asian Chinese, and everyone against my Japanese classmates, resulting in a bit of hard feelings for a week or so. The results were worth it, though; my name was guaranteed to be safe in both business and social situations in multiple Chinese locations. I've never had a problem with my name.

 

Because Chinese society kind of forces you to use a Chinese name, contrary to custom in the rest of the world, it is extremely important to have native Chinese input in the choice. Have a serious talk with both teachers and friends (or business associates) about an appropriate name. You won't regret it.

 

Just my opinion, but...

 

TBZ

[vellocet]

I'm on record as being against foreigners choosing their own names.  They always want something unique and special that nobody uses. Or weird, nonstandard characters that nobody can write.  Kind of like how Chinese give themselves bizarre names in English: Rainbow, Superman, Addidas, Leaf, Sky, Icy, and my favorite, a girl named Swallow.  ?

 

I think you should earn your Chinese name.  People who know you should give one to you.  If you don't have any Chinese friends, your teacher should do it.  And don't think you have to stick with it forever, you can change it later if it doesn't work out.  

[abcdefg]

On 10/3/2022 at 12:30 AM, Tharushi said:

I was thinking 瀚碧(hanbi) with 瀚 meaning ocean and 碧 meaning green jade/ bluish green.

 

In Kunming, where I lived, there was a landmark usually called in English "The gold horse jade rooster gate." 金马碧鸡坊, jinma biji fang. Most of my friends couldn't write the proper "bi" without a struggle. It was a popular meeting place. Sending a text (in Chinese of course) that said "Lets meet at jinma biji fang at 7" was always problematic. Even today if I try to type "bi ji" using my computer's Pinyin input system, the proper combination of characters takes a very long time to show up. 

 

All this to say I agree with Vellocet's point, above, about not choosing something obscure or tricky or excessively clever. 

 

Another small point that may or may not matter to you very much. In Chinese, if you want to say "blue sky," you normally use the two words in that same order: 蓝天。In your proposed name, the noun would be first and the adjective would follow it, which might confuse native speakers. 

[Wurooo]

Please not. Who choice the name for you? So bad. In Chinese 瀚碧, the tone is same as 憨逼, means "idiott"

[Tharushi]

On 10/4/2022 at 8:01 AM, TheBigZaboon said:

but think of some of the implications of using a name that runs contrary to local custom

I was not trying to disrespect local customs or anything, I don't mind that because I'm learning Chinese for fun. I don't plan to work or live in China... I just want something nice sounding to put on my exam paper.

[Tharushi]

On 10/5/2022 at 3:58 AM, Wurooo said:

In Chinese 瀚碧, the tone is same as 憨逼, means "idiott"

thank you, that's helpful. my worst fear is having a weird sounding name... 

[abcdefg]

Don't despair. If you can forget about it having the same meaning as your own real name, one way to find something that sounds and looks OK to native speakers is to read through a list of recent top female singers. Or you could do the same thing with female athletes or actresses or attorneys or scientists or whatever. You will avoid getting something ridiculous. 

 

For example, just pick one of these which appeals to you: https://www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-popular-chinese-female-singers/ 

 

Or, I remember a couple of famous Chinese female astronauts that have very good names. Easy to say, sound proper (好听）and are easy to write. For example, 王亚平 (wang yaping) or 刘洋 (liu yang.) Miss Liu was the first Chinese woman in space only a few years ago. Hero of the people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_women_in_space 

 

 

[Lu]

On 10/5/2022 at 6:04 PM, Tharushi said:

I just want something nice sounding to put on my exam paper.

Two things:

- Make sure you put your real name on there as well. You have to make sure the certificate you get after the exam has your passport name on it. A Chinese name on there is nice and pretty, but if you want to use it for anything more than hanging it on the wall, it needs to show very clearly that the person who made the exam is the same person as the official you.

- An exam is not really the most important thing you need a Chinese name for. It's much more useful and meaningful in social situations: among friends, in Chinese class... So it's fine to just do the exam with your regular name and take some more time to come up with a good one.

[anonymoose]

I agree with others who have said get some native input for your name.

 

Another consideration is how long it will take you to write your name in your exams. I've had this issue myself - I had a chinese name consisting of three characters with 17, 11 and 15 strokes (although not obscure characters). When your exam paper consists of several sheets and you have to write your name on each sheet, it can expend quite a lot of time.

 

I'm not a native chinese speaker, so I wouldn't trust myself to pick a good chinese name, but 洒卢西 may be a good starting point.

[vellocet]

On 10/14/2022 at 11:11 AM, Ethan_Rob said:

Not good. It has the same pronunciation as some swear words.

And that, folks, is why we don't let foreigners choose their own names.