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2020-06-28
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A Writer's Unofficial Guide to Chinese Naming

Summary:

Want to know how to come up with Chinese names and use them correctly? New to Chinese novels/danmei, and curious about courtesy names and terms of address? Just looking for a glossary of common terms? This guide is for you. Buckle up, kiddos, for a crash course in Chinese naming by yours truly, a Random Writer On The Internet.

Ch. 1: Chinese Names
Ch. 2: Terms of Address
Ch. 3: Glossary - Xianxia/Wuxia Terms of Address
Ch. 4: Glossary - Miscellaneous Terms of Address

Notes:

This is a fairly comprehensive guide - if you're looking for something a little shorter and more specific to the novels, check out Chinese naming basics for fanfiction writers by miqqumi or Guide to Writing Scum Villain (or XianXia and XuanHuan in general) by velveteentuzhi. Or if you're just looking for a glossary to refer to, skip the first two chapters.

This guide is primarily for fanfiction writers of Chinese novels, especially SVSSS and MDZS (which can get pretty term-heavy), but knowledge of the novels is not required. I hope you learn something new and find the glossary useful! If you have any questions, feel free to ask - I'll do my best to answer them.

Disclaimer: I am not a translator, nor is my knowledge all-encompassing, so if you see any glaring mistakes, feel free to suggest a correction. Suggestions for additional chapters are cool too.

Chapter 1: Chinese Names

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

”So what’s your name?”

“Gao Fushuai.” (Tall, rich, handsome!)

“...”

 

A quick overview.

Chinese names typically consist of 2-3 characters, with 3-character names being the most common. Each character (you could also call it a word) in the Chinese language is monosyllabic, and has a meaning. Like in Japanese, the format is (surname)(given name) - this is the opposite of English naming conventions, in which the given name comes first and the surname goes last. In general, terms of address that use the surname are more formal, while ones that use the given name imply familiarity or closeness. (Chinese people do not change their surnames after marriage, but the children always take on the father’s surname!)

 

What are courtesy names?

Courtesy names, consisting of two characters, are not used in modern times but were historically given to people when they came of age, separate from the name they were given at birth. They existed during a time when it was believed that given names should be reserved only for family and close friends. Most settings do not have courtesy names.

 

Original names.

Just like how randomly putting English letters together does not make an English name, randomly putting Chinese characters together does not make a proper Chinese name. For surnames, I recommend referring to a list of common Chinese surnames. Given names are a bit more difficult because all Chinese given names have special meanings, but I still recommend referring to a list, instead of making your own - unless you're absolutely confident in your Chinese (yeah... that ain't me ahahaaa).

However, make sure to avoid using other romanizations of Chinese words (such as “Cheung” or “Wong” or, god forbid, “Chow”), even the Cantonese romanizations, because while Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese are written using the same characters, they are completely different when spoken. ("Chinese" is an umbrella term for the many dialects of this language we have that's spoken in Asia and beyond, including Cantonese, but typically refers to Mandarin Chinese, the most widely spoken form and also what I refer to when I say "Chinese" in this guide. The official MXTX translations use a romanization of Mandarin called hanyu pinyin, which is also the most common you'll find.) When in doubt, Google the name and see if there are any Facebook profiles for it. Weird, but it works.

 

Example: Lan Wangji's names

Birth name: Lan Zhan (蓝湛) - intimate. Reserved for those closest to him and his elders/superiors. When Wei Wuxian uses this name as an acquaintance, it’s considered rude. "Zhan (湛)" means "clear", and is part of a phrase that means “azure”.

Courtesy name: Lan Wangji (蓝忘机) - respectful. More distant than the given name. Wangji (忘机) is technically two characters, so it wouldn’t be wrong to write it as “Wang Ji”, but putting them together makes it make more sense in English, since it is one name as a whole. “Wang ji (忘机)” means “forgetting the troubles of the world”; it’s part of a Daoist phrase. Very deep.

Title: Hanguang-jun (含光君) - the most formal and respectful; what younger generations and most people are expected to use. “Han guang/含光” means “bearing light/bearer of light". More on the “-jun”, which is a title/term itself (similar to “gentleman” or "lord"), later.

 

List of Chinese Surnames

List of Chinese Given Names for Girls

List of Chinese Given Names for Boys

Extra Reading on Given Names

(Edits: made Original Names clearer and more detailed! See comments below.)

Notes:

Now that we have the basics of Chinese names down, next up we'll be learning how to use them in Chapter 2: Terms of Address!

Chapter 2: Terms of Address

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Forgive me, beloved reader, but if a character of yours uses another character’s surname as a stand-alone name, I will not hesitate to Sichuan your pepper and mapo your tofu.

Why are terms of address important?

How people address one another in Chinese is 1) a vital staple of culture, 2) usually based on occupation and age, though it may vary depending on personality, and 3) demonstrates the relationship between them. Those lower on the hierarchy are expected to address their seniors with due respect, and using the wrong term of address is often considered rude, especially if it doesn't pay a superior their due respect - I shudder for those characters who refer to an emperor by his given name! In this regard, compared to Chinese, English is a total walk in the park. I will be using the phrase “terms of address” as an umbrella term for all honorifics and titles. If it’s used as a pronoun, it's a term of address.

There are as many different terms of address as there are stars in the sky! Not to worry, though - you usually only need to know about the most common ones. When in doubt, refer to examples from Chinese writing, the internet, or (the most fool-proof option) ask a translator/someone who is knowledgeable about Chinese.

 

Using the surname and given name.

As I said before, as a rule of thumb, using the surname in terms of address is more formal, while using the given name in terms of address is more familiar. Standing alone, the full name (surname and given name) may be used as a neutral and slightly distant way to address someone of equal status, and the full given name may be used as a close and affectionate way, or by an elder/superior. However, it is very wrong and strange to address someone by their surname only, or by only one character of their given name alone.

One special side branch of these rules is if your given name is only one character. It’s not technically wrong to use it as a stand-alone phrase, but speaking only one syllable to address another sounds strange to Chinese ears, and so will always have something attached to it.

 

Example: Different forms of the names “Shen Qingqiu”/”Shen Yuan”

Shen Qingqiu: correct
Qingqiu: correct, shows closeness
Shen Yuan: correct
Yuan-ge: correct, shows friendly feelings
Qing or Qiu: incorrect
Yuan: incorrect
Shen: incorrect, and I Sichuan your pepper >:(

 

Side note.

If you want to know, in addition to avoiding the usage of the word “you”, people in ancient China would usually avoid using first-person pronouns like the word “I” to others - instead, they would use third-person pronouns, including one’s own name. You may have seen this in the usage of phrases like “this one” or “this disciple” or even “this ancestor” (very, very arrogant). This was seen as respectful and proper, which is a very common theme to using terms of address, as you may see, and getting it wrong is rude at best and worth a death penalty at worst (thought you could call the Emperor's given name? ha! fools). There’s a whole ‘nother cartload of terms of address for referring to oneself - if this sounds way too confusing, I understand, and don’t search it up on Wikipedia. It only gets more complicated, trust me.

 

Guide to Writing Scum Villain (or XianXia and XuanHuan in general) by velveteentuzhi (highly recommended for usage examples)

Notes:

How do you Sichuan someone's pepper? Very simple. You do it like this: watch this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvokwz5PbI4. (3:28 is when it starts getting real good.)

Then, you do this: ༼つಠ益ಠ༽つ ─=≡ΣO))

This concludes the exposition section of this work - next up is Chapter 3: Glossary - Xianxia/Wuxia Terms of Address!

Chapter 3: Glossary - Xianxia/Wuxia Terms of Address

Summary:

Chinese xianxia (cultivation) and wuxia (martial arts superheroes) novels use these very liberally. They are the proper terms that people in cultivation and martial arts sects use to address each other, often with familial connotations.

Notes:

In order to provide examples of usage for the terms of address that can be attached to names, I will be using the name “Shen Qingqiu” for the male terms and “Ning Yingying” for the female ones. Mostly because Scum Villain is my favorite out of all three MXTX novels, heh.

Additionally, most terms may be used as a stand-alone title (and if they can be, they usually are, instead of being attached to a name). However, if the term cannot be used as a stand-alone title and must be attached to a name, then I will include a hyphen (-) in the term.

There are gender-specific as well as gender-neutral terms, so they’ll be categorized into 1) gender-neutral terms, 2) terms for men, and 3) terms for women. There is no specific order for the terms in each category, but they are very roughly arranged from least seniority to most seniority.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Gender-Neutral Terms

Daozhang (道长): Daoist priest. A respectful term used by non-cultivators to address a cultivator. Ex. Shen-daozhang.

Shifu (师父): master (of cultivation/martial arts, in this context). Literally, it uses the characters for “teacher“ and “father”. Because the master-disciple relationship is comparable to a father-child relationship, sect members in xianxia/wuxia settings refer to each other with terms that connote familial relationships. These masters are highly revered, just as teachers are revered in Chinese culture; however, while “shifu” are teachers, the term does not exactly mean “teacher” and should not be used in place of “teacher”. Generally not attached to a name.

Shizun (师尊): master. Used in exactly the same way as “shifu”, but is more respectful. Generally not attached to a name.

Zongshi (宗师): ancestral teacher. Used to address a great master, typically the founder of something. Ex. Shen-zongshi.

Terms for Men

Xiao Shidi (小师弟): youngest martial brother. A title used to address the martial brother with the least seniority, or the one who joined the sect last. Cannot be attached to a name.

Shixiong/shidi (师兄/师弟): senior martial brother/junior martial brother. Used to address your male martial siblings, apprentices who are under the same master as yours. They are differentiated by seniority; for example, in Scum Villain, apprentices who joined the sect before you are your seniors - your shixiong, and those who joined after you are your juniors - your shidi, regardless of age. Ex. Shen-shixiong/Shen-shidi.

Da Shixiong (大师兄): eldest martial brother. A title used to address the martial brother with the most seniority, or the one who joined the sect first. Cannot be attached to a name.

Shibo/shishu (师伯/师叔): senior martial uncle/junior martial uncle. Used to address your shizun’s male martial siblings, depending on if they are your shizun's senior or junior martial sibling. If your shizun is your father, then these are your uncles. Ex. Shen-shibo/Shen-shishu.

Terms for Women

Shijie/shimei (师姐/师妹): senior martial sister/younger martial sister. Used to address your female martial siblings, apprentices who are under the same master as yours, much in the same way as shixiong/shidi. Ex. Ning-shijie/Ning-shimei.

Edit: Shigu (师姑) has been removed; it is not a term, according to a Chinese person passing through. ;) Read the comments down below for some insight into this!

 

Immortal Mountain’s Guide to Terms of Address

Exiled Rebels Scanlations’s Dictionary of Honorifics

Immortal Mountain’s Guide to General Cultivation Terms

Notes:

But wait, there's more!! The terms in this chapter are only for use among people of the cultivation world - everybody else needs a term of address too. Next up is Chapter 4: Glossary - Miscellaneous Terms of Address!

Chapter 4: Glossary - Miscellaneous Terms of Address

Summary:

These may be miscellaneous, but outside of cultivation/martial arts sects, they are by far the most common and varied; all of these (unless otherwise indicated) are still in use today! There are very many (don’t even get me started on all the titles for members of the extended family), so I am only going to cover the most common and important. If it all sounds confusing, don’t worry, even Chinese people find it confusing too.

The usage rules are not hard and fast; occasionally, people may change it up depending on the situation (in private vs. in public), for a joke, to tease someone, or to be intentionally rude.

Notes:

In order to provide examples of usage for the terms of address that can be attached to names, I will be using the name “Shen Qingqiu” for the male terms and “Ning Yingying” for the female ones. Mostly because Scum Villain is my favorite out of all three MXTX novels, heh.

Additionally, most terms may be used as a stand-alone title (and if they can be, they usually are, instead of being attached to a name). However, if the term cannot be used as a stand-alone title and must be attached to a name, then I will include a hyphen (-) in the term.

There are gender-specific as well as gender-neutral terms, so they’ll be categorized into 1) gender-neutral terms, 2) terms for men, and 3) terms for women. There is no specific order for the terms in each category, but they are very roughly arranged from most formal to least formal.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Gender-Neutral Terms

Laoshi (老师): teacher. A title used for your teacher(s). Teachers are highly respected in Chinese culture. Ex. Shen-laoshi; Ning-laoshi.

Full name: A neutral, somewhat distant term for a person of equal status. Generally appropriate in most situations and for people you haven’t met. May also be used in very, very serious situations or in dismay/outrage (kind of like how some parents use your full name when you're in Big Trouble, but much more serious). Ex. Shen Qingqiu; Ning Yingying.

Lao- (老): (literally) old; elder. Used in front of the surname to show familiarity, but only for people older than you - mainly used to address older men, but not exclusively. Often translated into English. Ex. Lao Shen/Old Shen.

Full given name only: A friendly, affectionate term for those close to you; also used by elders/superiors to address their subordinates or juniors, or for a shifu/shizun to address their direct disciple, or for a teacher to address a student (if the disciple's/student's given name is only one character, then the full name is used). Ex. Qingqiu; Yingying.

Pet Names/Nicknames

Xiao- (小): (literally) little; young. Used in front of one of the characters of the full name to show endearment/familiarity. Sometimes translated into English as “Little”; very commonly used to address children, those younger than you, and creatures you find cute, like cats. Ex. Xiao Qiu; Xiao Ying.

Doubling a character of the given name: A nickname to show endearment/familiarity. Slightly cutesy. Not commonly used to address adult men, like most of the pet names; most often, it's used by or for young women and children. Ex. Yingying. (Ok, Yingying has that already, but if we use Liu Mingyan, then it would be “Yanyan”.)

A-/Ah (阿): (literally) ah; huh; oh. The meaning has no real significance. Used in front of one of the characters of the full name to show endearment/familiarity. Fairly cutesy. Not commonly used to address adult men, like most of the pet names; most often, it's used by or for young women and children. Ex. A-Qiu; A-Ying.

-er/’er (儿): (literally) child. Used after one of the characters of the given name of children or young, close friends to show endearment/familiarity. Rather cutesy. Not commonly used to address adult men, like most of the pet names; most often, it's used by or for young women and children. Ex. Qiu-er/Qiu’er; Ying-er/Ying'er.

Baobei (宝贝): (literally) treasure. Similar in meaning to “my dearest”. A pet name for your itty bitty wittle pwecious dearest one with lots of sugar on top. 10/10 on the cutesy meter. Generally reserved for babies, or romantic partners who can take the cheesiness - it takes a very thick face to call an adult your “baobei”, especially if you are younger and/or in public! Cannot be attached to a name.

Terms for Men

-jun/Junshang (君/君上): ruler; gentleman; great lord/my lord. I'm not 100% certain on this term, since it's not very common. A historical title for lords (in the nobility) and generals, although it has many other meanings. Generally attached to titles, instead of an actual name. To clarify, the names “Tianlang-jun” and “Mobei-jun” from Scum Villain are more like titles than Chinese birth names - as you might already know, names for demons in the novel are dramatic titles that mean things like “Heavenly Hammer” and “Northern Desert”. A good example in a more conventional setting would be “Hanguang-jun” from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.

Xiansheng (先生): mister/sir. A polite term for a male stranger. Ex. Shen-xiansheng; mister Shen.

Gongzi (公子): young master; childe. A polite term for a man from a well-to-do family, such as the son of a noble family; more respectful than “xiansheng”. Sometimes translated into English. Ex. Shen-gongzi; young master Shen; Childe Shen.

Yeye (爷爷): (literally) grandpa. A polite term for an elderly man, regardless of blood relation. Also used for your actual father’s father. Often translated into English. Ex. Shen-yeye; Grandpa Shen.

Xiongdi/-xiong (兄弟/兄): brother. Similar to “gege/didi”, but without the age differentiation and closer in meaning to “buddy” or “comrade”. Ex. Shen-xiong, Shen-xiongdi.

Gege/didi (哥哥/弟弟): (literally) older brother/younger brother. A familiar, close term for a man who is slightly older/younger than you, regardless of blood relation. Also used for your actual older/younger brothers, though. In novels, you’ll often see young people using this. Ex. Shen-gege/Shen-ge/Shen-didi/Shen-di.

Terms for Women

Furen (夫人): madam. A polite term for a woman of high rank. Ex. Ning-furen.

Taitai (太太): madam. Used to address a married woman, but uses the surname of the husband. Ex. Shen-taitai (if Shen Qingqiu had a wife).

Ayi (阿姨): (literally) aunt. A polite term for an older woman, similar to “xiansheng”, but only if she is older than you. Often translated into English as “Auntie”. Ex. Ning-ayi/Auntie Ning.

Nainai (奶奶): (literally) grandma. A polite term for an elderly woman, regardless of blood relation. Also used for your actual father’s mother. Often translated into English. Ex. Ning-nainai; Grandma Ning.

Xiaojie/guniang (小姐/姑娘): young lady; miss. A polite term used much in the same way as “xiansheng” - for a female stranger - but only for young, unmarried women who are younger than you. (Fun fact, in modern China “xiaojie” can mean “prostitute”...) Ex. Ning-xiaojie/Ning-guniang; Miss Ning.

Jiejie/meimei (姐姐/妹妹): (literally) older sister/younger sister. A familiar, close term for a woman who is slightly older/younger than you, regardless of blood relation. Also used for your actual older/younger sisters, though. In novels, you’ll often see young people using this. Ex. Ning-jiejie/Ning-jie/Ning-meimei/Ning-mei.

 

More Modern Chinese Titles

Comprehensive Explanation of Honorifics (and by comprehensive I mean COMPREHENSIVE)

Notes:

Why are there so many different kinds of pet names? ... ┐(´д｀)┌ Just pick one I guess? Hahaha

From a Chinese perspective, this section's terms are hard to pin down with a definition because the appropriate term can vary so wildly depending on the context. It'd be cool if I could list every situation in which so-and-so term of address can be used, but that just isn't feasible ;-; So as always, my advice is that the best teacher for usage of these terms is experience. Read moar novels! Watch moar dramas!!

(Edit: fixed "xiongdi" and the order of female terms. Added standard terms for master-student relationships. Fixed the 阿 to the correct character.)