[quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“bdot”]I wouldn’t be so sure … why with this surname crisis in China and all. 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/china_surname_crisis/
B.[/quote]
My goodness, truth is stranger than fiction indeed.[/quote]
This is a problem for… who, exactly? All Sikhs have the surname Singh. Nguyen in Vietnam and Kim in Korea are very common. And then?
[quote=“smithsgj”][quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“bdot”]I wouldn’t be so sure … why with this surname crisis in China and all.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/china_surname_crisis/
B.[/quote]
My goodness, truth is stranger than fiction indeed.[/quote]
This is a problem for… who, exactly? All Sikhs have the surname Singh. Nguyen in Vietnam and Kim in Korea are very common. And then?[/quote]
And all the best English speaking people are surnamed Smith. 
[quote=“bismarck”][quote=“smithsgj”][quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“bdot”]I wouldn’t be so sure … why with this surname crisis in China and all.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/china_surname_crisis/
B.[/quote]
My goodness, truth is stranger than fiction indeed.[/quote]
This is a problem for… who, exactly? All Sikhs have the surname Singh. Nguyen in Vietnam and Kim in Korea are very common. And then?[/quote]
And all the best English speaking people are surnamed Smith. [/quote]
Is that your surname too, Bismarck?
Today I was told 你的中文名字很好聽, which was a pleasant surprise.
[quote=“smithsgj”][quote=“bismarck”][quote=“smithsgj”][quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“bdot”]I wouldn’t be so sure … why with this surname crisis in China and all. 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/china_surname_crisis/
B.[/quote]
My goodness, truth is stranger than fiction indeed.[/quote]
This is a problem for… who, exactly? All Sikhs have the surname Singh. Nguyen in Vietnam and Kim in Korea are very common. And then?[/quote]
And all the best English speaking people are surnamed Smith. 
[/quote]
Is that your surname too, Bismarck?[/quote]
Indeed, sir!
Is that like, “Oh, your Chinese is so good!”?
No one has told me that before, but my Chinese name carries the Dragonbones seal of approval. 
Is that like, “Oh, your Chinese is so good!”? [/quote]
Well I hope not. It’s not the first time I’ve received a favourable comment on my Chinese name, but it was unexpected. I switched to Chinese when responding to a client email, and was amazed at how much more personal the discussion suddenly became. This was the latest:
[quote]炯聽起來是有活力且較強烈
加了涵，讓人感覺又柔軟許多
兩個字加起來能形成平衡，好名字![/quote]
Unfortunately it seems more idiomatic than my stumbling Chinese can cope with, and it seems to be formulated prose (it’s not a poetic form is it?), but from what I can make out it’s quite approving of my name.
Is that like, “Oh, your Chinese is so good!”? [/quote]
Well I hope not. It’s not the first time I’ve received a favourable comment on my Chinese name, but it was unexpected. I switched to Chinese when responding to a client email, and was amazed at how much more personal the discussion suddenly became. This was the latest:
[quote]炯聽起來是有活力且較強烈
加了涵，讓人感覺又柔軟許多
兩個字加起來能形成平衡，好名字![/quote][/quote]
Not especially poetic I don’t think, just saying that 炯 (suggests tough and strong) and 涵 (suggests gentle and soft) complement each other pretty well. Must fancy you, I’d say.
:eh: Does the fact that she’s not signing off with her English name anymore, and is instead signing off with a duplication of one of the characters in her Chinese name (like 瑤瑤 for example), mean she’s feeling more comfortable? 
You could always ask a local to help you pick out names from one of 瓊瑤’s novels. She is supposedly a very well-known Chinese novelist.
so none of y’all consulted a fortune teller or counted the strokes? how can that be? if you want a real taiwanese name, then shouldn’t you dive into its ocean of superstitions?
Yes, 開開, I suppose we should.
Get several native speakers of Chinese to check any name given to you, and regularly try it out on groups of different ages. If it is greeted with hysterical laughter by a crowd of elementary school students, for example, you may want to choose something else. Some people just can’t resist making a joke. There are Taiwanese people with English names like ‘Jenny’ (short for ‘Genitalia’), Dumbo and Skank; do your best not to become the Chinese equivalent.
Yes, 開開, I suppose we should.[/quote]
wrong kai dude, it’s this one 楷.
Yeah ‘Jack’ (short for ‘Jacking Off’) is another one you come across from time to time.
(wtf)
Yes, 開開, I suppose we should.[/quote]
wrong kai dude, it’s this one 楷.[/quote]
That’s interesting cos it has 2 pronunciations, jie and kai. I wonder how people know which, or don’t they? Or ever, really when there’s a 2-pron character in a name? Maybe generally they’re avoided?
Yes, 開開, I suppose we should.[/quote]
wrong kai dude, it’s this one 楷.[/quote]
That’s interesting cos it has 2 pronunciations, jie and kai. I wonder how people know which, or don’t they? Or ever, really when there’s a 2-pron character in a name? Maybe generally they’re avoided?[/quote]
I think that it only has one pronunciation. The kai has a wood radical and and the jie has the ear or man or earth radical. I think most of them seem to be jie.
楷 vs 階 or 偕 or 堦
I may be wrong though. My mom went to a fortune teller and got me this auspicious name.
How about 馬如玉 and 馬天宇
如means like, 玉 means jade,
天means sky, 宇means universe
I can promise these will be good names, not stupid at all.
Those composed in simple words and good meaning.