Learning Chinese: culture — Unit 3

The Unit 3 dialogue features a meeting between a student, 月月 Yuèyue, and a teacher, 李明 Lǐ Míng. It shows how you address a teacher in China, how Chinese names are built, and what a given name reveals about Chinese culture.

1. How to greet your teacher in China

In the dialogue, 月月 Yuèyue addresses the other person by saying: 你是李明老师吗？ Nǐ shì Lǐ Míng lǎoshī ma ? — "Are you Teacher Li Ming?"

In China, you never address a teacher by their given name alone. The standard form is family name + 老师 lǎoshī. Li Ming will therefore be called 李老师 Lǐ lǎoshī — "Teacher Li".

The term 老师 lǎoshī goes well beyond the school setting. It can be used as a mark of respect toward anyone whose skill or experience is recognized: a craftsman, an artist, a lecturer… It is a flattering title that reflects deep regard in Chinese culture.

In Unit 2 we saw the titles 先生 xiānshēng (Mr.) and 女士 nǚshì (Mrs.), used in formal contexts. The title 老师 works the same way: family name + title. Never the other way round.

2. How family names and given names are built in China

In English, we say "John Smith" — given name first, family name second. In Chinese, it is always the other way round : the family name (姓 xìng) comes before the given name (名 míng).

This order reflects a worldview in which the collective — the family, the clan — comes before the individual. When introducing yourself, you first assert your family belonging, then your personal identity.

Chinese family names are generally made up ofa single character. The most common are 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 张 Zhāng, 刘 Liú and 陈 Chén. These five names alone are borne by several hundred million people.

Given names, on the other hand, have one or two characters. A single-character given name like 明 Míng gives a full name of two syllables (李明). A two-character given name like 小明 Xiǎomíng gives a name of three syllables (李小明).

3. How Chinese people choose given names

In the West, a given name is often chosen because it "sounds nice" or in tribute to a loved one. In China, choosing a given name is a much more deliberate act, because each character carries a meaning.

The given name 明 Míng, for example, is made of two elements: 日 rì (the sun) and 月 yuè (the moon). It means "bright, luminous, clear". A parent who names their child 明 wishes them a bright future and a keen mind.

The given name 月月 Yuèyue, the name of the student in the dialogue, is formed by repeating the character 月 yuè (the moon). This repetition, called 叠名 diémíng, creates an affectionate, musical effect that is very common in female given names and nicknames.

Here are some common themes in the choice of Chinese given names:

  • Nature: 雪 xuě (snow), 海 hǎi (sea), 林 lín (forest)
  • Virtues: 德 dé (virtue), 信 xìn (trust), 义 yì (righteousness)
  • Aspirations: 强 qiáng (strong), 志 zhì (ambition), 飞 fēi (to fly)
  • Beauty: 美 měi (beauty), 丽 lì (elegance), 花 huā (flower)

Some families even consult a master of 八字 bāzì (the "eight characters" of the Chinese horoscope) to choose a given name whose characters balance the five elements (五行 wǔxíng : metal, wood, water, fire, earth) according to the child's date and time of birth.

4. Can you call a Chinese person by their given name?

In the West, moving to first-name terms is a perfectly ordinary sign of familiarity. In China, things are more nuanced.

Among close friends or family, the given name is used, often in an affectionate form: either the repetition of a syllable (明明 Míngmíng), or the prefix 小 xiǎo (little) before the family name or the given name (小李 Xiǎo Lǐ, 小明 Xiǎo Míng).

In a formal or professional context, you always use the full name or the form family name + title, as we have seen: 李老师 Lǐ lǎoshī, 王先生 Wáng xiānshēng, 张女士 Zhāng nǚshì.

For older people, you can use the prefix 老 lǎo (old, in a respectful sense) before the family name: 老李 Lǎo Lǐ, 老王 Lǎo Wáng. This 老 is not at all pejorative — on the contrary, it marks esteem and closeness.

5. How to translate your given name into Chinese

When a foreigner arrives in China, they often want to give themselves a Chinese name. There are two main approaches:

Phonetic transcription consists of choosing Chinese characters whose pronunciation is close to the original name. For example, "Marie" could become 玛丽 Mǎlì and "Jean" could become 让 Ràng. The advantage is that the name stays recognizable by ear. The drawback is that the chosen characters do not always have a coherent or elegant meaning in Chinese.

The "Chinese" given name consists of choosing characters for their meaning, as Chinese parents do. With an adopted Chinese family name (often one that sounds like your own), you get a real Chinese name that carries meaning. This is the approach most appreciated by Chinese people, because it shows an effort at cultural integration.

Whatever approach you choose, don't forget the fundamental rule: in Chinese, the family name always comes first. If your family name is Dupont and your Chinese given name is 明 Míng, you will be 杜明 Dù Míng — and not "Míng Dù".