• Diss

  • Rant: Don't Butcher Chinese Names Please

Ithilien honestly yes, I see it as turtle. and in general, that's a bad name too because it makes me think of the phrase "无家可归" which literally means hobo. idk if your character is a homeless man and that's intentional but I would advise against using that name.

as for alternatives... how about 望归/Wanggui? Wang = looking to and Gui = return to, so together, the name would mean wishing for a place to return to but not having one, which is similar as Wugui but also slightly different.

though ngl I don't like the word 'gui' in a name (I just don't like the sound of it in names), so how about these names:
孤冥/Guming = alone in the darkness
离影/Liying = separate & in the shadows
临渊/Linyuan = facing the abyss (of one's own mind, perhaps?)

all of these are pretty depressing, but then again, Wugui also sounds depressing, so yep.
In general, no one really wishes to give their child a name that means that they'll have nowhere to return to so that's why there's barely any proper names that work like that.

      yaoyueyi That was kind of the point of the name, to be honest. It this case, the couple was forced to leave their home, not because they had to, but as a resolve. My intention was for them to name their child 无归 to remind themselves of the sacrifices they've made and as a reminder not to look back. But I see how it can ne depressing.
      Thanks for your suggestions, I'll think about it.

        4 days later

        yaoyueyi

        Here is a list of my characters, please tell me if there is something wrong with their names. (i'm sure junhui and jieqiong was fine tho, if you're a kpop fan, you'll understand)

        Huang Liwei
        Han Junhui
        Xu Jieqiong
        Zhou Lingtian
        Li Zixian
        Yan Sheng
        Jiang Yunxi
        Leng Linlin
        Qin Yanxi
        Qian Yinluo

            yaoyueyi
            I'd like to join in on this train and request some help. =p. Very few of my characters are Chinese, so this isn't usually an issue for me, lol.

            Is Fang Hao okay as a Chinese name? I chose it randomly based on some names from previous Chinese novels I've read. Honestly, no idea what it would even mean.
            I also need a name for Fang Hao's super powerful grandfather. Any ideas? Also, is Hao the last name or is Fang? I always get confused on whether the Chinese last name comes first or second.
            Unrelated to the above, I need a Chinese name for one other male character. Something along the lines of dragon or child of heaven. I was thinking of using 'Long' in the name, but unsure of what to do for the rest of it.

            Any good sources for where I can get Chinese names? Most of my 3rd volume takes place in China, so I have a feeling I'll be needing quite a few of them over time. However, the 3 previously mentioned characters are the only important ones in my story as far as China goes.

                yaoyueyi
                I picked the Chinese names from a name generator site. Just now I tried my Chinese names on google translate as you said and saw some ridiculous things. :D It would be very nice if you can check the names I used. I want to change them if there is a grave mistake. :D Thank you for opening this 'rant diss' btw, it opened my eyes.

                Here are the names;

                Female; Shen Zhi, Shen Huang, Shen Lan
                Male; Meng Heng, Meng Long

                    qostoq would advise against shen zhi... makes me think of 甚至 which means even. shen huang also doesn't seem like a female name. if your last name is '沈', all three of those names sound a bit ridiculous in chinese. shen lan is the best out of the three, but again, I'm not a big fan.
                    meng heng is okay, but meng long is not. reminds me of 朦胧 which means hidden... and although it may not sound bad, it's pretty pathetic of a name.
                    hope this helps.

                        @yaoyueyi
                        Do you know any sites with good information on them that would help me understand this topic? As Zhen Xin mentioned earlier, I use the same site usually but reading this makes me feel like my names could have been made better.

                          yaoyueyi
                          Argh... dang. Alright, then I guess I have to mention names said so far.
                          Fan Zhi - MC
                          Fan Heng - Never been sure if this one was good, always felt off to me
                          Fan Hui
                          Fan Cheng

                              yaoyueyi
                              ok cool, I wasn't entirely sure how they sounded. I tried looking at a lot of Eastern Fantasy translations and names used and such to try get a good idea of what works and what doesn't

                                  yaoyueyi
                                  Thank you for the reply. How about these names,

                                  Shen wangshu
                                  shen yingyue

                                  meng tianlong or tianshe?

                                      qostoq no for wangshu or yingyue
                                      the other two are average, prefer tianlong over tianshe

                                          yaoyueyi
                                          Darn, it's hard to find a decent name in Chinese. Do you have a suggestion for me?

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