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littlesand
Lurker
Joined: May 28, 2007
Posts: 20
Status: Offline
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  Posted:
June 06, 2007 - 03:35 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Why should a Chinese have an English name? |
There's something really interesting about this topic.
About one year ago when i was in Beijing on my internship, a friend from Bangledesh first brought this question to me. i still remeber what he exactly said. He asked me, why every single Chinese he met had an English name, like Jack, David,instead of adopting their own Chinese names. Actually in his coutry, people used their own names. Of course I tried to explain to him the way most Chinese people did. "Cus they are easy to remeber for foreigners and also every Hongkongnese has a Chinese name so it's kind of normal." However he replied to me by shaking his head."I don't think so. We Bangledesh people sometimes have very complex names but even so we stick to our own ones." As a matter of fact, I hadn't ever thought about this before and to this friend it seemed to be a serious problem.
From that moment on, i thought twice about my "English" name Janet and decided to dump it and replaced it with my Chinese surname" KOO". In the begining it felt so good and i could see that people hearing with would have a few wrinkles on their foreheads but eventually, thank God, they could accept it. Whereas, to my great disappiontment, they would store the word in the backest part of their brains the very next time they saw me. Oof, really depressed.
Something new happened when I entered into an American company in Beijing. For sure, the boss asked me"Do you have an English name?" " Yes, Koo." "What's that?" "It's my surname,sir." "No, it doesn't make any sense. You must have an English name." Faint! What can I do? So I picked up my "English"name again.
Before this name issued happened, half a year has passed. Now I have been working in Shanghai, the most prosperous and international city in China. Due to my work, 80% of my work language is English. Still, I feel kind of lost when others call me "Janet". For me, it is rather a temporal identity than a name. Also, I hope the guy one day I'll fall in love with, whichever color he is, can ask me seriously "What is your name, please?" And I will definitely feel happy and honored to answer "Koo # #"! |
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mrpango
Low Seater
Joined: Jan 26, 2007
Posts: 3274
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June 06, 2007 - 03:42 PM |
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Lots of people like to use their Chinese name twice - like Fei Fei, Chao Chao etc... will yours be Koo Koo?
What is a name if its not just to identify you? |
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Well, may as well start a blog http://www.sinocracy.com/ - click at your leisure! |
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sillygal83
Talker
Joined: Dec 10, 2006
Posts: 110
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June 06, 2007 - 03:43 PM |
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The short answer is that Americans are stupid. We could make it longer and argue that most Chinese also are. I used to make this joke that I am the only one in the company that doesnt have an English name, but most people don't understand my joke. Sigh. |
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On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door |
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littlesand
Lurker
Joined: May 28, 2007
Posts: 20
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
June 06, 2007 - 03:53 PM |
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What do u guys think? Just drop me a line and I appreciate this deeply! |
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sillygal83
Talker
Joined: Dec 10, 2006
Posts: 110
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June 06, 2007 - 03:58 PM |
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What? Didnt we reply already? Of course you dont need to have an English name, whatever your American farmer of a boss thinks about it! |
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On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door |
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Michael
Moderator
Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 5274
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 04:17 PM |
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Using your name place of his as an example, one of my employees when first introduced just said
My Chinese name is Koo
My English name is Koo
Happy to meet you. |
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iara
Veejay
Joined: June 09, 2006
Posts: 2058
Location: brazil-shanghai
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June 06, 2007 - 04:52 PM |
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It's the same with me!
In the university they gave a chinese name, but my name is Iara, in chinese they couldn't find anything
similar, so they chose Iada. It's weird, I don't like it!
Then this year teachers start to call me Izaber, my second name is Izabel.
I asked why, then one explain me that Iada is more a male name, than they decide to call me after my second name...
But my name is Iara, I like it, and I don't like when everybody call me Izaber or Iada!
It feels like I'm one person at school and another one outside school!
I also refuse to call my chinese friends with their english names. I allways ask for the "original"name.
No one can change anyone name, this is absurd! |
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I'm my husband slave! always! |
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jacko8
Talker
Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 87
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June 06, 2007 - 04:58 PM |
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In my company (MNC), only about half the local men have English names, but all the girls have English names. For guys, the English names are plain vanilla types such as Peter, Paul, David, and etc. For girls, the names more exotic, such as Smiley, Echo, Rainbow, and so on. Personally, I think it is whatever you feel comfortable with.
Once I was in a meeting with the locals and the US on a conference call. We went around the room to introduce ourselves, a local guy repeated his Chinese name a couple of times, but on the US side, guys were still asking, "what?" Later, he gave up, and just said "John". From then on, he started to use John as his English name.
I have a Chinese name and an English name. On my business card, I have both names printed. When I go visit customers, before I always introduced myself with my English name. But lately, I have started to introduce myself with my Chinese name. I don't have a reason for doing it, just feel like doing it. |
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sillygal83
Talker
Joined: Dec 10, 2006
Posts: 110
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June 06, 2007 - 05:01 PM |
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| Quote: |
but on the US side, guys were still asking, "what?" Later, he gave up, and just said "John". From then on, he started to use John as his English name.
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Another good American story. They probably don't realize China is on another continent either.
Did I tell you the story of this Chinese guy I met whose name was "John Pershing"? |
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On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door |
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jacko8
Talker
Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 87
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 05:06 PM |
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| sillygal83 wrote: |
Did I tell you the story of this Chinese guy I met whose name was "John Pershing"? |
Pray tell. |
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travelinjack3
FooJay
Joined: Sep 19, 2005
Posts: 1710
Location: Right Bank
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 05:07 PM |
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You can either please your self or please others. One builds character and the other steals your soul.
The flip side of this is when the foreigners choose a chinese name. They always seem to choose some pretentious sounding crap that no local would ever have (Da Shan being the tip of a giant turd iceburg).
My name is Kunta Kinte. |
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If the billy goat was Bootsie and the troll was Maceo, then only the Godfather of Soul can really take you to the bridge. |
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mrpango
Low Seater
Joined: Jan 26, 2007
Posts: 3274
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
June 06, 2007 - 05:21 PM |
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| sillygal83 wrote: |
| Quote: |
but on the US side, guys were still asking, "what?" Later, he gave up, and just said "John". From then on, he started to use John as his English name.
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Another good American story. They probably don't realize China is on another continent either.
Did I tell you the story of this Chinese guy I met whose name was "John Pershing"? |
I've had on many occasions, some students (when I was in Hangzhou) who didn't know where China was (or America) on the map...
Its a bit strange my Chinese name, sounds a little childish  but supposed to have some lucky meaning (thanks grandad) |
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Benoist_Shanghai
Low Seater
Joined: May 18, 2003
Posts: 3057
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June 06, 2007 - 06:21 PM |
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It's an old topic but you don't need any 'English' name or whatever some of them actually are.
Pinyin is pretty readable unless you deal with illiterate people who cannot make out the letters. And then it does not really matter, does it? Ridiculous, and even more for all those of them who can't even speak English. I don't use 'English' names (tend to despise people using them  ) and stick to any native name.
b. |
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pandalover3
Rocker
Joined: Mar 31, 2007
Posts: 792
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 06:37 PM |
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"Also, I hope the guy one day I'll fall in love with, whichever color he is, can ask me seriously "What is your name, please?" And I will definitely feel happy and honored to answer "Koo # #"!"
probably white if he says it in english. oh wait, thats happy fate isnt it?
-----------------------------------
i didnt get to be the charcter i am tofay without jerking off
==============
i never have these cultural language probs, every chinese geez ive met was called "hey g00k" |
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*CheerLeader*Mao
Post Roaster
Joined: July 07, 2004
Posts: 4678
Location: frenCh belgiuM
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June 06, 2007 - 06:39 PM |
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| travelinjack3 wrote: |
You can either please your self or please others. One builds character and the other steals your soul.
The flip side of this is when the foreigners choose a chinese name. They always seem to choose some pretentious sounding crap that no local would ever have (Da Shan being the tip of a giant turd iceburg).
My name is Kunta Kinte. |
Have you seen the African American Andrew Ballen on the traveling show?
Da Long is his Chinese name. Kind of suggestive.
Hmmm, travelingjack....you dont work for a traveling show do you? |
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skyline5k
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 06, 2004
Posts: 8658
Location: i am ERROR
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 06:41 PM |
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My wife signed us up for "wedding photos." You know, the pictures all Chinese married couples have that show them in some beautiful scenery looking out across the distance at anything from a UFO to another naked chick (you can't tell because it's not in the photo!  ).
When she signed us up, they asked for the husband's name. She said 张天旭 (zhang tian xu). When we got there, she went in to get her makeup done while I dealt with the lobby people. I kept telling them my name, her name & her english name. Has to be somewhere. Then I saw that old Chinese name that I haven't used in about 4 years. I pointed to it and said, that's me.
They didn't believe me until my friend came over, a Chinese-American, also getting photos done, who they apparently trusted more than a "stupid" white-American, and verified that in fact I was that person.
According to my wife, she uses her English name, simply for convenience when dealing with "gweilos". Doesn't bother her either way.
Your identity is your identity, whether it's your given name, your English name, your Chinese name, some nickname, ShanghaiExpat screenname or whatever else you can think of. How many times have people come up to me on Wednesday night mixers, and said, "You're skyline5k!" and even after I tell them my name, they can't remember it by the next week? Skyline5k is my identity on here, and that's what people associate me as.
It's all relative. |
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C:/Dos ~ C:/Dos/Run ~ Run/Dos/Run |
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lucyna
Veejay
Joined: Aug 03, 2006
Posts: 2166
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 07:07 PM |
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Sigh, Just a name. Couldn't believe it can affect life so much.  |
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BONNIE
Veejay
Joined: June 17, 2005
Posts: 1892
Location: Amsterdam/Shanghai
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June 06, 2007 - 07:15 PM |
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I think you don't need an English name unless you are dealing with foreigners. My close friends I know, and use their Chinese names but I can't easily remember everyone's Chinese name at work - whereas an English name is usually easier to remember.
But I also think it's cool to let your Chinese friends pick your Chinese name (for foreigners that is) - and the same for English friends to suggest an English name. That way you name each other 
Many Chinese at my company now use both their names like Frank Zhao Guorong, but I am working now with a lot of Germans and they incorrectly address Chinese people by their given name and not their family name which is worse than using an English name I think. |
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DesertSpider
Post Roaster
Joined: Jan 19, 2007
Posts: 4413
Location: SHANGHAI, CHINA
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June 06, 2007 - 09:35 PM |
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I'm a US'er and I have a Chinese name - a real one. So does that balance it out ? |
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| wrote: |
| I'm looking good, got a luscious v of hair going through my chest pubes down to my ball fro. |
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skyline5k
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 06, 2004
Posts: 8658
Location: i am ERROR
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 10:05 PM |
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No it doesn't. They've already pointed out above that us Amerrykins are too stupid. |
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C:/Dos ~ C:/Dos/Run ~ Run/Dos/Run |
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Angie
LoopKicker
Joined: Feb 01, 2004
Posts: 848
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 10:07 PM |
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joyce_ann
LoopKicker
Joined: May 08, 2007
Posts: 837
Location: xinzhuang, sa bldg na walang elevator! ASAR!
Status: Offline
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June 06, 2007 - 10:23 PM |
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*CheerLeader*Mao
Post Roaster
Joined: July 07, 2004
Posts: 4678
Location: frenCh belgiuM
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June 06, 2007 - 11:00 PM |
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| skyline5k wrote: |
| No it doesn't. They've already pointed out above that us Amerrykins are too stupid. |
I thought he was just talking about the blacks, chi n ks and spics. |
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jase
PopStar
Joined: July 08, 2004
Posts: 1193
Location: Dubai
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June 06, 2007 - 11:06 PM |
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I think most Chinese have 2 names to go with both of their personalities  |
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7th Commandment; Thou shall not admit adultery |
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DesertSpider
Post Roaster
Joined: Jan 19, 2007
Posts: 4413
Location: SHANGHAI, CHINA
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June 06, 2007 - 11:11 PM |
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| skyline5k wrote: |
| No it doesn't. They've already pointed out above that us Amerrykins are too stupid. |
I'd ask Purdue for a refund, but I'm sure they'd say no. |
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| wrote: |
| I'm looking good, got a luscious v of hair going through my chest pubes down to my ball fro. |
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