The short version: there are three ways to have a name in Chinese. 1. Transliteration (音译 yīnyì): a standard sound-copy of your name, such as John → 约翰 Yuēhàn or Emily → 艾米丽 Àimǐlì. 2. A real Chinese name (中文名): a genuine Chinese surname plus one or two chosen characters, the way diplomats and long-term residents do it (Kevin Rudd is 陆克文 Lù Kèwén). 3. For Japanese and Korean names, the characters you already have, read in Mandarin: Tanaka 田中 → Tiánzhōng, Kim 金 → Jīn. Look yours up in the searchable list of 107 names below.
There is a particular moment in learning Chinese that many learners remember: the first time a teacher, a colleague or a new friend writes your name in characters and says it back to you. It feels like being handed a key. Yet the question “what is my name in Chinese?” has more than one honest answer, and the internet is full of name generators that stitch together random characters without telling you what they mean. This guide explains how Chinese speakers actually do it.
The three routes to a Chinese name
Transliteration 音译
A standard sound-copy, used in newspapers, subtitles and official translations. Instantly recognisable as a foreign name.约翰Yuēhàn · JohnA real Chinese name 中文名
A Chinese surname plus one or two chosen characters. Sounds like a person, not a translation. Chosen by people who live, work or study in Chinese.陆克文Lù Kèwén · Kevin RuddNames already in characters
Japanese and Korean names are written with Chinese characters, so Mandarin simply reads the same characters in Mandarin.村上春树Cūnshàng Chūnshù · Haruki MurakamiRoute 1: how Chinese transliterates foreign names
Chinese has no alphabet, so a foreign name is rebuilt syllable by syllable from characters that are chosen mainly for sound. Established names follow long-standing conventions, collected in the reference work 《世界人名翻译大辞典》 (Names of the World’s Peoples) compiled by the Xinhua News Agency’s name-translation office, which is why John is 约翰 in every Chinese newspaper and Bible. Four patterns explain most of what you will see:
| Pattern | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Final consonants get their own syllable | 马克 Mǎkè (Mark) · 詹姆斯 Zhānmǔsī (James) · 罗伯特 Luóbótè (Robert) | Mandarin syllables can only end in a vowel, -n or -ng, so -k, -s and -t become 克, 斯 and 特. |
| L and R often become 尔 or 勒 | 迈克尔 Màikè’ěr (Michael) · 丹尼尔 Dānní’ěr (Daniel) | A final -l has no Mandarin equivalent; 尔 ěr is the conventional stand-in. |
| Neutral “transliteration characters” | 斯 克 特 德 尔 利 亚 伊 奥 | A small set of characters with mild meanings is reused so the name reads as a sound, not a sentence. |
| Feminine characters for women’s names | 娜 丽 莎 琳 娅 妮 蕾 | Women’s names favour characters with the 女 (woman) or 王 (jade) component: 安娜 Ānnà, 艾米丽 Àimǐlì. |
Route 2: choosing a real Chinese name
A real Chinese name follows the Chinese pattern: surname first, one syllable in the great majority of cases, then a given name of one or two characters. Choosing one well takes four decisions.
Route 3: Japanese and Korean names in Mandarin
If your name is Japanese or Korean, it is probably already written in Chinese characters, and Mandarin speakers will simply read those characters with their Mandarin pronunciation. The sound changes completely, but the written name stays the same. That is why the novelist Haruki Murakami is 村上春树 Cūnshàng Chūnshù in China, the film director Hayao Miyazaki is 宫崎骏 Gōngqí Jùn, and the figure skater Kim Yuna is 金妍儿 Jīn Yán’ér.
Japanese: Tanaka Yuki
田中由纪Tiánzhōng Yóujì — the same characters, read in Mandarin. Japanese-only character forms are switched to their Chinese equivalents (渡邊 → 渡边).Korean: Kim Minsu
金敏秀Jīn Mǐnxiù — Korean names have Hanja behind them; ask your family which characters yours uses, since one Korean syllable can match several.Find your name: 107 names in Chinese
Type your name or filter by type. English and other Western names use the standard transliteration found in Chinese media; Japanese and Korean surnames are shown with their characters read in Mandarin. Tone marks are included so you can pronounce each one correctly.
Not in the list yet. For an English name, split it into syllables and look for the standard transliteration; for a Japanese or Korean name, read your own characters in Mandarin.
Five mistakes that make a Chinese name look fake
Check yourself — five names
Choose the form a Chinese speaker would use.
迈克尔 Màikè’ěr. 米歇尔 is Michelle; 马克 is Mark.
Mandarin reads the characters: 田 tián + 中 zhōng.
林安 Lín Ān: a real surname and a two-syllable name with a good meaning (peace). 杜子腾 sounds like “stomach ache”; 爱美丽美 has an invented surname and is too long.
Mandarin syllables cannot end in -s, so the sound gets its own character, 斯 sī.
卡洛斯: every syllable of Car-los is kept, and the final -s becomes 斯.
Quick reference
- Three routes
- Transliteration (音译, e.g. John 约翰 Yuēhàn); a real Chinese name (surname + 1–2 characters, e.g. Kevin Rudd 陆克文); for Japanese and Korean names, their own characters read in Mandarin (田中 Tiánzhōng, 金 Jīn).
- Transliteration patterns
- Final consonants become syllables (克, 斯, 特, 德); final -l becomes 尔; women’s names use 娜, 丽, 莎, 琳, 娅.
- Most common surnames (2020)
- 王 李 张 刘 陈 杨 黄 赵 吴 周.
- Before using a name
- Real surname, two or three characters, good meaning, balanced tones, homophone check with a native speaker, one script (simplified or traditional).
- Japanese and Korean examples
- 田中 Tiánzhōng, 铃木 Língmù, 佐藤 Zuǒténg, 村上春树 Cūnshàng Chūnshù; 金 Jīn (Kim), 朴 Piáo (Park), 李 Lǐ (Lee), 崔 Cuī (Choi).
Frequently asked questions
What is my name in Chinese?
If your name is English, the standard answer is its transliteration: John is 约翰 (Yuēhàn), Michael is 迈克尔 (Màikè'ěr), Emily is 艾米丽 (Àimǐlì), Sarah is 莎拉 (Shālā). If you plan to live, study or work in Chinese, you can also choose a real Chinese name with a Chinese surname, as Kevin Rudd did with 陆克文. If your name is Japanese or Korean, Mandarin reads its characters: Tanaka 田中 is Tiánzhōng, Kim 金 is Jīn.
How do I choose a real Chinese name?
Pick a real Chinese surname that echoes the first sound of yours (Smith 史, Martin 马, Lee 李), then one or two given-name characters with a meaning you like, ideally echoing your own name. Say the full name aloud to check the tones flow, and ask a native speaker to check for embarrassing homophones before you use it.
How are Japanese and Korean names said in Chinese?
They keep their characters and are read with Mandarin pronunciation. Tanaka (田中) becomes Tiánzhōng, Suzuki (铃木) Língmù, Haruki Murakami (村上春树) Cūnshàng Chūnshù; the Korean surnames Kim (金), Park (朴) and Lee (李) become Jīn, Piáo and Lǐ. Names written only in kana or Hangul need characters chosen for them, or a transliteration.
Are Chinese name generators accurate?
Rarely. Most generators combine characters purely for sound without checking meaning, tone or homophones, which can produce names that look odd or even comic to native speakers. Use a standard transliteration or build a real name with the four steps in this guide and have a native speaker check it.
Should my Chinese name be in simplified or traditional characters?
Use simplified characters (陈) for mainland China and Singapore, and traditional characters (陳) for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Keep the whole name in one system.
- 新华通讯社译名室 (Xinhua News Agency Translation Office), 《世界人名翻译大辞典》 — the standard reference for Chinese transliterations of foreign names.
- 公安部户政管理研究中心 (Ministry of Public Security Household Registration Research Center), 《二〇二〇年全国姓名报告》 — the ranking of China’s most common surnames.
- Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), official HSK site.