http://goodcharacters.com/blog Chinese Naming: Making a Name in China Tue, 06 May 2008 15:50:18 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mu-Qin-Jie Kuai-Le Mu Qin (pronounced moo cheen) is a mother. Jie (pronounced jee-eh) is a festival day or holiday. Kuai Le (pronounced kwie-luh) is happiness, joy, pleasure, delight, or rejoicing. So Mother + Day + Happy, pronounced moo cheen jee-eh kwie luh, Mu Qin Jie Kuai Le is how you say "Happy Mother's Day" ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/05/02/happy-mothers-day-in-chinese/ We’ve been very busy and I haven’t had time to update this blog at all. However, I just found a great source of information about China at china.alltop.com. I have included the link on Blogroll on the bottom right-hand side of this page as well. http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/04/10/alltop-china/ The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year are Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way. Gong Xi is congratulations or respectfully wishing one joy. Fa Cai is to become rich or ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/01/14/gong-xi-fa-cai/ There are many naming experts who advise on the do’s and don’t’s of naming, but then there are always creative entreprerneurs who break the rules. A store in Hong Kong named “Delay No Mall” is a good example. It has a name that sounds profane and yet caters to teens’ rebellion ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/01/10/delay-no-mall-fs-the-common-naming-rule/ MSNBC reported that a New York City Japanese eatery, Hakata Tonton, boasts that eating collagen-rich pig’s feet is the key to youthful skin. How do you get Americans, especially New Yorkers, to eat pig’s feet? By calling it by its exotic-sounding Japanese name, Tonsoku, and emphasizing the collagen-rich food’s (or foot’s) ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/01/09/how-to-get-the-foot-in-new-yorker%e2%80%99s-door/ NBC Nightly News has a video (Selling China on human rights) about Dui Hua Executive Director John Kamm, a successful business person turned human rights activist for Chinese political and religious prisoners. Kamm uses persistence and his acquired business skills to advocate for human rights. John Kamm’s Chinese name is 康原 ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/01/03/john-kamm-is-making-a-name-and-a-difference-in-china/ AdAge reports that a new study from OMD Worldwide found that ethnic groups are turned off by ads that rely on stereotypes and caricatures rather than meaningful cultural cues. Key points that are relevant when doing business in China or with the Chinese: "The respondents were saying, 'We want to see ourselves ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2008/01/03/be-relevant-when-you-market-to-china/ Xin Nian Kuai Le! Xin Nian is New Year. Xin is new and Nian is year. Kuai Le is happiness, joy, pleasure, delight, or rejoicings. So "Happy New Year" in English is "New Year Happy" in Chinese: Xin Nian Kuai Le. Links: See it and Hear it Learn how to write Happy New Year in Chinese http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2007/12/25/happy-new-year-in-chinese/ Ye Dan Kuai Le! Merry Christmas is Sheng Dan Kuai Le or Ye Dan Kuai Le in Chinese. Ye is short for Ye Su, which is the transliterated name for Jesus. The character ye (pronounced in the first tone as in the transliteration of Jesus) does not have a special meaning. It is ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2007/12/24/merry-christmas-chinese/ Sheng Dan Kuai Le Sheng is sacred or holy. It is also short for sheng ren, meaning a sage or a saint. Dan is birth or birthday. Kuai le is happiness, joy, delight, or rejoicings. So, Sheng Dan Kuai Le, Holy Birth Happy, is how you say Merry Christmas in Chinese. For Christians who believe ... http://goodcharacters.com/blog/2007/12/24/merry-christmas-in-chinese-version-2/