# Do you have an "official" Chinese name? \[poll and discussion\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Living in Taiwan\ **Tags:** poll, chinese\ **Created:** [April 28, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336 "2020-04-28T13:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KongTaigi](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/kongtaigi/32/270477_2.png) [@KongTaigi](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/KongTaigi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/21 "2020-04-28T14:40:07Z")
I had a student whose complete Chinese name consisted of a total of 13 strokes. Mine = 38 total strokes. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hanna/32/24014_2.png) [@Hanna](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/22 "2020-04-28T14:41:39Z")
> [@KongTaigi](#): > > Mine = 38 total strokes. 35 for me. Could be worse! I could be a 蕭. ---
**Author:** ![keoni](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a4c791/32.png) [@keoni](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/keoni)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/23 "2020-04-28T14:47:13Z")
This would be “great” name: 倪好棒 ---
**Author:** ![KongTaigi](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/kongtaigi/32/270477_2.png) [@KongTaigi](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/KongTaigi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/24 "2020-04-28T14:53:29Z")
Not as great as your original name, Keoni! You share the same name as a ~~beloved renowned~~ notorious ~~journalist writer~~ bloke here in Tawan! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![oneofdaroughs](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oneofdaroughs](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/oneofdaroughs)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/25 "2020-04-28T18:01:56Z")
Was told by immigration in Kaohsiung once a Chinese name adopted by a foreigner means nothing even though it was on my ARC…Then looked on the back of my wife’s ID card, and behold my Chinese name is on it with no English. So, I guess my wife’s ID card has some meaningless Chinese characters thrown on then? ---
**Author:** ![KongTaigi](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/kongtaigi/32/270477_2.png) [@KongTaigi](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/KongTaigi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/26 "2020-04-28T18:25:36Z")
As far as I can tell, it means a helluva lot more than you may have initially been led to believe. For me, the following all use my Chinese name: some bank accounts/credit card, Masters/Doctoral diplomas and transcripts, MOE professor certificate, drivers license, lease agreement, work permit and contract, some health documents, local online retailer accounts … ---
**Author:** ![hansioux](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hansioux/32/253648_2.png) [@hansioux](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hansioux)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/27 "2020-04-28T18:34:33Z")
> [@KongTaigi](#): > > I had a student whose complete Chinese name consisted of a total of 13 strokes. Mine = 38 total strokes. Mine has 45 strokes… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Seeker](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@The\_Seeker](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/The_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/28 "2020-04-28T21:50:33Z")
Mine was the standard translation of my first name and the first syllable of my last name that happens to be a common Chinese Surname. My name is a Biblical name that some Chinese may use. It’s common enough that they know my English name even before I tell them. I believe my name like my children’s names had the added stamp of approval from the shell throwing at the temple, the village fortune teller and the Chinese almanac. ---
**Author:** ![Shaun008](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/shaun008/32/209482_2.png) [@Shaun008](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Shaun008)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/29 "2020-04-28T23:58:23Z")
> [@KongTaigi](#): > > I had a student whose complete Chinese name consisted of a total of 13 strokes My friends kid has 5 ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/30 "2020-04-29T01:31:33Z")
My Italian name already has an official translation. 馬可. Taiwanese are always bewildered when I tell them I don’t have an English name. Last name censored. ---
**Author:** ![hannes](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hannes/32/161150_2.png) [@hannes](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hannes)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/31 "2020-04-29T01:39:27Z")
I don’t understand why they like to use ke not kou, which seems to be closer to the co in the name How about 馬口 (Horse Mouth)? 🐎 ---
**Author:** ![hansioux](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hansioux/32/253648_2.png) [@hansioux](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hansioux)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/32 "2020-04-29T01:54:06Z")
> [@hannes](#): > > I don’t understand why they like to use ke not kou because in Middle Chinese, which was the language first used to translate the Bible, 可 is read as khóo (IPA: kʰɔ) Most translation of Biblical names that doesn’t seem to make sense would make perfect sense if you read them in Latin and Middle Chinese of any kind, such as Taigi or Cantonese. ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/33 "2020-04-29T02:05:50Z")
> [@hannes](#): > > I don’t understand why they like to use ke not kou, which seems to be closer to the co in the name > > How about 馬口 (Horse Mouth)? 🐎 I guess then you guys can finally say straight from the horse’s mouth 😛 ---
**Author:** ![keoni](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/a4c791/32.png) [@keoni](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/keoni)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:09am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/34 "2020-04-29T02:09:56Z")
> [@hannes](#): > > I don’t understand why they like to use ke not kou, which seems to be closer to the co in the name > > How about 馬口 (Horse Mouth)? 🐎 ![image](https://forumosauploads-12829.kxcdn.com/original/3X/4/6/468b547f4c891eecfa04b4aa9bf223006666f253.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Steve4nLanguage](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/steve4nlanguage/32/180867_2.png) [@Steve4nLanguage](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Steve4nLanguage)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/35 "2020-04-29T02:14:38Z")
I voted yes by choice. The only time I was told that I absolutely needed a Chinese name chop was for registering my scooter ownership (both second hand then later when I bought a new one). It might be different now. Local friends helped me choose mine. I told them I wanted something that didn’t sound foreign, e.g. 史蒂夫, but I wanted it to sound as close to my English name as was feasible. They provided several options and in the end I went with the characters with the least strokes, so my full Chinese name has 18 strokes in total. ---
**Author:** ![hansioux](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hansioux/32/253648_2.png) [@hansioux](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hansioux)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:27am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/36 "2020-04-29T02:27:52Z")
If Steve is transcribed into Taigi, 司知武 (Si ti-bú) looks like a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![hannes](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hannes/32/161150_2.png) [@hannes](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hannes)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/37 "2020-04-29T02:42:07Z")
Middle Chinese? 中文？ Interesting, couldn’t care less though. Ha ha. Cause we don’t use Middle Chinese here and now, do we? ---
**Author:** ![hansioux](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hansioux/32/253648_2.png) [@hansioux](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hansioux)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/38 "2020-04-29T02:43:02Z")
> [@hannes](#): > > Middle Chinese? 中文？ > > Interesting, couldn’t care less though. Ha ha. Cause we don’t use Middle Chinese here and now, do we? I use Taigi all the time. Middle Chinese/Classical Chinese is 中古漢語 or 經典漢語, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/39 "2020-04-29T02:44:19Z")
We have a [Taigi Corner.](https://tw.forumosa.com/c/language/taiwanese-and-hakka-corner/138) ---
**Author:** ![tigerninjaman](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tigerninjaman/32/72076_2.png) [@tigerninjaman](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tigerninjaman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336/40 "2020-04-29T03:02:16Z")
I have a name given to me by my first-year Mandarin teacher, years ago. I use it here because I think it’s neat and it’s not like I can introduce myself using it in the west. So I suppose it’s by choice, but if I didn’t already have one then I might have been forced to use a transliteration or otherwise choose a name. I also have a different name in Taigi since apparently pronouncing the characters in Taigi sounds weird/possibly dirty, but my teacher won’t tell me what it sounds like… [Previous page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336.md?page=1) [Next page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/do-you-have-an-official-chinese-name-poll-and-discussion/191336.md?page=3)