"THREE MEN WALK INTO the room. Their names are Tsui Wah, Tsan Yuk and Wing Lung..."
What's strange about the names of these characters?
To the ears of anyone not originally from Hong Kong they may all sound perfectly reasonable.
In fact, Tsui Wah is a fast food restaurant chain, Tsan Yuk is a hospital on Hong Kong island and Wing Lung is the name of a bank!
In my many years at the Hong Kong Writers Circle I've come across all sorts of Cantonese character names that somehow don't ring true, and some that have caused locals to laugh out loud. Some have sounded like they were lifted directly from shop signs. Is that so bad? Well, ask yourself if you have ever considered the name Ronald McDonald for a character. No? Well, it's similar to that.
When writing about a character from our own culture we naturally put a lot of thought into their name and what it says about them. Coming from England, I can read a character name like Bertram Wilberforce Wooster and be quite sure about his gender, where he comes from and even what his social standing might be. There is as much that can be deduced from Chinese names, even by non-Chinese-speaking people. When writing about Hong Kong, and indeed when writing for an international readership, we need to put in as much, if not more, care into our choice of character names.
With this in mind, here's a list of some common errors and how to avoid them:
What's strange about the names of these characters?
To the ears of anyone not originally from Hong Kong they may all sound perfectly reasonable.
In fact, Tsui Wah is a fast food restaurant chain, Tsan Yuk is a hospital on Hong Kong island and Wing Lung is the name of a bank!
In my many years at the Hong Kong Writers Circle I've come across all sorts of Cantonese character names that somehow don't ring true, and some that have caused locals to laugh out loud. Some have sounded like they were lifted directly from shop signs. Is that so bad? Well, ask yourself if you have ever considered the name Ronald McDonald for a character. No? Well, it's similar to that.
When writing about a character from our own culture we naturally put a lot of thought into their name and what it says about them. Coming from England, I can read a character name like Bertram Wilberforce Wooster and be quite sure about his gender, where he comes from and even what his social standing might be. There is as much that can be deduced from Chinese names, even by non-Chinese-speaking people. When writing about Hong Kong, and indeed when writing for an international readership, we need to put in as much, if not more, care into our choice of character names.
With this in mind, here's a list of some common errors and how to avoid them:
1. Girls and Boys
"Ka Po was a man's man - straight out of Hemingway..."
Chinese Characters (capital C) can be romanised in various ways and some names (eg: Wong) represent multiple Characters. Nevertheless, a local can usually tell whether a romanised name is male (Ka Ho) or female (Ka Po), and can spot an unusual or unlikely name a mile off.
It is a minefield but to save you some trouble, below is a handy Cantonese Name Generator with dozens of given names drawn from genuine contemporary name lists (just don't ask me my source!) Simply pick a surname and a female or male given name and Chan Man Hei's your uncle!
* Download the Cantonese Name Generator
"Ka Po was a man's man - straight out of Hemingway..."
Chinese Characters (capital C) can be romanised in various ways and some names (eg: Wong) represent multiple Characters. Nevertheless, a local can usually tell whether a romanised name is male (Ka Ho) or female (Ka Po), and can spot an unusual or unlikely name a mile off.
It is a minefield but to save you some trouble, below is a handy Cantonese Name Generator with dozens of given names drawn from genuine contemporary name lists (just don't ask me my source!) Simply pick a surname and a female or male given name and Chan Man Hei's your uncle!
* Download the Cantonese Name Generator
2. Toby, or not Toby?
"David and Chak Yuen sat down to bowls of steaming noodles..."
Generally speaking, people in the same social situation have similar characteristics. In other words, a group of friends in Hong Kong are likely to all go by their English names or all by their Chinese names. This is something I have observed in Hong Kong and there are other examples (eg: whether people send text messages in English or Chinese). The example above is inauthentic for this reason.
Now, before you assault me with real-life exceptions, consider also that in fiction anything that is mentioned is assumed to have a purpose - the rifle hanging on the wall in Chapter 1 should go off in Chapter 2 or 3. If a character with one arm is introduced in a story, the reader will expect their disability to play a part in the plot, and in this case it is perhaps an unfortunate prejudice. With the above example, I would assume that Chak Yuen has a slightly different background to David - perhaps different schooling, or perhaps David grew up on Hong Kong island whilst Chak Yuen spent his early years in Guangdong. If these expectations are not then answered in the story it is irritating for the reader and feels like bad writing. Aim for consistency with English or Cantonese names in a single story.
"David and Chak Yuen sat down to bowls of steaming noodles..."
Generally speaking, people in the same social situation have similar characteristics. In other words, a group of friends in Hong Kong are likely to all go by their English names or all by their Chinese names. This is something I have observed in Hong Kong and there are other examples (eg: whether people send text messages in English or Chinese). The example above is inauthentic for this reason.
Now, before you assault me with real-life exceptions, consider also that in fiction anything that is mentioned is assumed to have a purpose - the rifle hanging on the wall in Chapter 1 should go off in Chapter 2 or 3. If a character with one arm is introduced in a story, the reader will expect their disability to play a part in the plot, and in this case it is perhaps an unfortunate prejudice. With the above example, I would assume that Chak Yuen has a slightly different background to David - perhaps different schooling, or perhaps David grew up on Hong Kong island whilst Chak Yuen spent his early years in Guangdong. If these expectations are not then answered in the story it is irritating for the reader and feels like bad writing. Aim for consistency with English or Cantonese names in a single story.
3. The natural order
"Leung Wing Yan, Doris, the cleaner, it transpired, had, formerly, been a secret agent..."
In former times, Hong Kong people would render their names thus:
"Doris Leung Wing Yan"
I tend to think this is quite nice as it preserves the natural order of names for both languages: "Doris Leung" and "Leung Wing Yan". Recently, however (perhaps with a vague post-colonial intent), names are rendered thus:
"Leung Wing Yan, Doris"
This is a little unfortunate as one now hears sentences like this:
"My name is Leung Wing Yan, Doris, and I'm seven years old."
Which makes me think, "Don't call me Doris!"
And it also necessitates an extra comma, which is, clearly, the last thing that some writers, such as myself, need. I would suggest sticking with a nice, simple "Doris Leung" or "Leung Wing Yan" unless...
"Leung Wing Yan, Doris, the cleaner, it transpired, had, formerly, been a secret agent..."
In former times, Hong Kong people would render their names thus:
"Doris Leung Wing Yan"
I tend to think this is quite nice as it preserves the natural order of names for both languages: "Doris Leung" and "Leung Wing Yan". Recently, however (perhaps with a vague post-colonial intent), names are rendered thus:
"Leung Wing Yan, Doris"
This is a little unfortunate as one now hears sentences like this:
"My name is Leung Wing Yan, Doris, and I'm seven years old."
Which makes me think, "Don't call me Doris!"
And it also necessitates an extra comma, which is, clearly, the last thing that some writers, such as myself, need. I would suggest sticking with a nice, simple "Doris Leung" or "Leung Wing Yan" unless...
4. My family and other exceptions
"Vincent, come and eat your
dinner!..."
...unless you're bringing family into the equation.
A Hong Kong person who goes by their English name with friends and colleagues is unlikely to use it with their parents. Parents will refer to their offspring with the familiar prefix "Ah-" followed by the second part of their given name. So, our friend Doris Leung Wing Yan will be called "Ah Yan" by her mother, and Vincent Cheung Man Hei will be "Ah Hei". Very small children may be called Yan Yan or Hei Hei (this is a diminutive form, like the Spanish "-ita" or "-ito").
It is also common for families to use the same first character for siblings' given names, so Vincent Cheung Man Hei's brothers will be Man Kit and Man Lap, for example.
Between siblings, the rather affected-sounding "First Older Brother" and "Second Younger Sister" is sometimes used, but for writing this is probably best avoided unless you want your dialogue scenes to tie you (and your reader) up in knots!
"Vincent, come and eat your
dinner!..."
...unless you're bringing family into the equation.
A Hong Kong person who goes by their English name with friends and colleagues is unlikely to use it with their parents. Parents will refer to their offspring with the familiar prefix "Ah-" followed by the second part of their given name. So, our friend Doris Leung Wing Yan will be called "Ah Yan" by her mother, and Vincent Cheung Man Hei will be "Ah Hei". Very small children may be called Yan Yan or Hei Hei (this is a diminutive form, like the Spanish "-ita" or "-ito").
It is also common for families to use the same first character for siblings' given names, so Vincent Cheung Man Hei's brothers will be Man Kit and Man Lap, for example.
Between siblings, the rather affected-sounding "First Older Brother" and "Second Younger Sister" is sometimes used, but for writing this is probably best avoided unless you want your dialogue scenes to tie you (and your reader) up in knots!
5. ...not!
"Johnny Ng Ho Fai was the fastest runner in his class and he knew it..."
The Chinese love puns and word play and some references can be very obscure and convoluted to explain. Some are familiar, such as the avoidance of the number 4 (which is a homophone of the word for "death"). A less well-known one is the surname Ng. Chinese people often give impressive and flattering names to their children, but the Ng family may not because Ng sounds like the word for "not". So, poor Johnny, who has the inspiring name "Ho Fai" (Very Fast) has in fact been labelled Not Very Fast. This is worth bearing in mind for female characters too whose names suggest that they are an incomparable beauty or an unsurpassed intellect.
"Johnny Ng Ho Fai was the fastest runner in his class and he knew it..."
The Chinese love puns and word play and some references can be very obscure and convoluted to explain. Some are familiar, such as the avoidance of the number 4 (which is a homophone of the word for "death"). A less well-known one is the surname Ng. Chinese people often give impressive and flattering names to their children, but the Ng family may not because Ng sounds like the word for "not". So, poor Johnny, who has the inspiring name "Ho Fai" (Very Fast) has in fact been labelled Not Very Fast. This is worth bearing in mind for female characters too whose names suggest that they are an incomparable beauty or an unsurpassed intellect.
6. Two or Three?
"Li Ying was as Cantonese as a Pineapple Bun..."
Generally speaking, people of Cantonese (Guangdong) origin have three names: a surname and two given names. People from other parts of China are likely to have just two names (ie: just one given name). Not always, I hasten to add, but often. So, as with Point 2 - bear in mind what your character name may be saying about him or her. Li Ying doesn't sound very Cantonese at all!
"Li Ying was as Cantonese as a Pineapple Bun..."
Generally speaking, people of Cantonese (Guangdong) origin have three names: a surname and two given names. People from other parts of China are likely to have just two names (ie: just one given name). Not always, I hasten to add, but often. So, as with Point 2 - bear in mind what your character name may be saying about him or her. Li Ying doesn't sound very Cantonese at all!
7. Where is He from?
"Mr Siu, Mr Xiao and Mr Hsiao were discussing schizophrenia..."
The romanisation of a name also tells the reader something about their character. The names above are all the same name, the first being the Hong Kong/Cantonese rendering, the second being the Mainland/Mandarin rendering, and the third being the Taiwan/Wade-Giles rendering.
There is a lot to say about romanisation of Chinese Characters in English language stories, but I'll save that for another time. If you're unsure, check the table on Wikipedia's Chinese Surnames page.
"Mr Siu, Mr Xiao and Mr Hsiao were discussing schizophrenia..."
The romanisation of a name also tells the reader something about their character. The names above are all the same name, the first being the Hong Kong/Cantonese rendering, the second being the Mainland/Mandarin rendering, and the third being the Taiwan/Wade-Giles rendering.
There is a lot to say about romanisation of Chinese Characters in English language stories, but I'll save that for another time. If you're unsure, check the table on Wikipedia's Chinese Surnames page.
8. Better left unsaid?
"Björn waved goodbye to Stockholm and flew back to Hong Kong, the place where he was born. The End."
Finally, a more general point. We live in a globalised world where (as many people argue) borders and nationality and race are more fluid and less relevant every day. Hong Kong, with its "English names", its multiple languages and its transient communities, epitomises this.
It does, however, lead to some unique problems in writing (and reading). We tend to make much broader assumptions about characters than we do about real people. For example, if I read a story about Björn, a disaffected art student living in Stockholm, I would assume he is Swedish. If he is revealed in fact to be Chinese it feels like an unintentional twist in the story and, more to the point, poor writing. This example is silly of course, but I have read stories that are just as jarring. It is reasonable that a Chinese person living in Sweden would take a Swedish-sounding "English" name, but not mentioning his nationality feels like withholding it. While I dislike writing that front-loads all the backstory (especially into the first sentence - more about that next time too), I think it is preferable to get these details out of the way quickly so that you don't include an unintentional twist later on in the story.
This problem extends in all sorts of directions, far beyond just writing about Hong Kong. There are debates at the moment about the marginalisation of women and men in the use of male or female pronouns in gender neutral situations, for example:
"I was mugged in Central Park last night."
"Really? Did she take anything?"
Overall, these are generalisations, but story writing demands consistency in a way that real life does not. If you did meet a Chinese person called Björn in real life, I'm sure you wouldn't be wondering whether his name was going to be an unresolved plot point later on, or whether it was indicative of some sort of subtextual theme. But a more multi-media literate readership, combined with the almost ubiquitous use of the 'third person limited' point-of-view demand clarity and consistency from writers.
I think, then, these points about Chinese names go back to a favourite quote of mine from GV Carey's "Mind The Stop", where he writes:
"Don't mislead your reader, even for a second."
Carey was talking about punctuation, but it applies to other parts of writing too, including names.
- SCC Overton
"Björn waved goodbye to Stockholm and flew back to Hong Kong, the place where he was born. The End."
Finally, a more general point. We live in a globalised world where (as many people argue) borders and nationality and race are more fluid and less relevant every day. Hong Kong, with its "English names", its multiple languages and its transient communities, epitomises this.
It does, however, lead to some unique problems in writing (and reading). We tend to make much broader assumptions about characters than we do about real people. For example, if I read a story about Björn, a disaffected art student living in Stockholm, I would assume he is Swedish. If he is revealed in fact to be Chinese it feels like an unintentional twist in the story and, more to the point, poor writing. This example is silly of course, but I have read stories that are just as jarring. It is reasonable that a Chinese person living in Sweden would take a Swedish-sounding "English" name, but not mentioning his nationality feels like withholding it. While I dislike writing that front-loads all the backstory (especially into the first sentence - more about that next time too), I think it is preferable to get these details out of the way quickly so that you don't include an unintentional twist later on in the story.
This problem extends in all sorts of directions, far beyond just writing about Hong Kong. There are debates at the moment about the marginalisation of women and men in the use of male or female pronouns in gender neutral situations, for example:
"I was mugged in Central Park last night."
"Really? Did she take anything?"
Overall, these are generalisations, but story writing demands consistency in a way that real life does not. If you did meet a Chinese person called Björn in real life, I'm sure you wouldn't be wondering whether his name was going to be an unresolved plot point later on, or whether it was indicative of some sort of subtextual theme. But a more multi-media literate readership, combined with the almost ubiquitous use of the 'third person limited' point-of-view demand clarity and consistency from writers.
I think, then, these points about Chinese names go back to a favourite quote of mine from GV Carey's "Mind The Stop", where he writes:
"Don't mislead your reader, even for a second."
Carey was talking about punctuation, but it applies to other parts of writing too, including names.
- SCC Overton
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