Chen lao shi 09/02-09/05/2014 Unit 1: Wǒ zì jǐ 我自己 Myself Lesson 1: Greetings and Names

Part 3: Míng zì (Names)

Basics about Chinese míng zì Count 1,2,3 by person First read your part of the article (1,2 or 3) If you finish early, you can read other parts Share what you learned with your group members

Chinese culture of míng zì Last Name + First Name  E.g.  Chen Yixing (Yixing Chen)  Li Xiaolong (Bruce Lee)  Cheng Long (Jackie Chan)  No middle name in Chinese 1 Name Order

Chinese culture of míng zì Usually 1 character 100 last names shared by 84% of Chinese population (1+ billion). It is very common for non-related people to have same last names. Origins of last names:  birth place, ancestors’ names, jobs, ranks, etc. 2 Last Name

Chinese culture of míng zì Usually 1 or 2 characters Male names: “strong” “tough” “power” “outstanding” Female names: “beautiful” “kind” “flower” “graceful” Neutral names: “knowledgeable” “intelligent” “upright” “bright” 3 First Name

Chinese culture of míng zì A son is never named after his father or called junior. Never name a child after a relative. 4 Naming Taboos Avoiding elders’ and ancestors’ names out of respect.

Míng zì of Chinese Celebrities Fàn Bīngbīng Actress Yáng Lán Show host Yáo Míng Basketball player Chéng Lóng Actor (dragon) (ocean wave) (bright) (ice)

Name yourself in zhōng wén Step 1. Choose last name

Name yourself in zhōng wén Think of 2-3 words that you like or can describe you  E.g. big, dragon Look up these words in Google Translate  E.g. big  大 Dà ； dragon  龙 Lóng Choose 1 or 2 characters as your first name  E.g. 大龙 Dà Lóng Ask Chen lao shi for suggestions or approval Step 2. Look up first name

Name yourself in zhōng wén Go to dex.htm dex.htm Copy, type or find your characters Practice pronunciation Practice writing Step 3. Practice

What did you learn? What learning methods work best for you? What did you enjoy? What challenges did you face? How will you improve?