I Need a Chinese Name For - Kane

[kane0]

I am heading to school soon in Beijing and must decide on a Chinese name as soon as possible. Does anyone know if this site shows a proper translation of my first name Kane (Male)? Could someone tell me if this translation is reasonable and what it means? Anyone with other suggestions for a Chinese version of my name with characters and a translation would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[BrandeX]

Well Kane apparently means "Little Battler", so here is "Small Battle Person": 小战役人

Seems kind of silly, but you can see from other threads translating english names to chinese is not technically possible. Reminds me of native american names, and how they are translated literally to english with things like "runs with one foot like turtle missing legs"

Anyways, the link you posted translates to "Kane" in whatever sense you wanna make using raw sounds "Kai" "En". It means something like Triumphant graciousness, which I guess isn't that bad either. I'd probably use it.

[Lu]

Kai'en sounds nice enough (but you might want to wait for the opinion of a native speaker). Do you want a surname as well? 'Kai' is officially a surname by itself, but a very uncommon one, so you might want to pick another surname.

Btw I don't think you have to have a Chinese name before going to school in China, you could also wait until you get there and then find someone you know to pick a nice name for you.

[kane0]

Actually, Kane is my first name (i.e. my given name and not my surname). I did not actually consider the idea that the school would want me to come up with a first and last name! Do all foreigners usually come up with a first and last name to study/work in China?

[BrandeX]

Rarely do they from what I have seen (outside of perhaps students, which are still the minority of foreigners in china). Many of my Chinese students don't have english names either. It's often personal preference, however if you are in a classroom program, your teacher may possibly demand you to invent a chinese name, particularly if they can't pronounce your english one.

[gkung]

Yes, Kai En (凱恩 - Traditional Chinese) (凯恩 - Simplified Chinese) is perfect.

[gkung]

Or you can use another Kai (楷), means moral model.

[Lu]

Do all foreigners usually come up with a first and last name to study/work in China?

No, I think generally they don't. If your company is sending you, they might want you to have a Chinese name, but people at the office in China should be able to help you get a good one. If you already have studied some Chinese, your teacher might already have given you a Chinese name (this was the case for me). If you're a first-time student, you can just choose a name when you know someone who can help you choose it, either a teacher or a good friend or whoever. You don't have to choose a name now. (But if and when you do, I'd recommend also choosing a surname.)

[kane0]

Actually, my instructions from the school are to have a Chinese name ready for registration. Given that I arrive right around that time, I may not be able to get too much expert advice. Are there any good family names that could go with Kai' en? Or should I be using personal information in order to come up with a family name? Thanks again for all the help so far.

[Lu]

What's your original family name? Someone here can maybe pick a Chinese one to match it.

[kane0]

Cuenant is may last name (a French accent over the "e"). Given that the name is probably going to be hard to translate into something that sounds similar, feel free to suggest anything that seems relevant or works well with the first name Kai En. Just in case it helps, my last name comes from the Couesnon river in Normandy, France. Its only real significance is that it surrounds Mont Saint-Michel (a French UNESCO heritage site) with an estuary and separates the province from Brittany (formerly British/Celtic territory). If there is any other information that could help find a Chinese name, please feel free to ask. Thanks again.

[Yang Rui]

The name 何 （he2) sounds identical to the word for river and goes well with 凱恩 I think. The second tone followed by the third tone of 凱 and the first tone of 恩 has a nice balanced sound.

桂 (gui4) is also a surname and may sound similar to the first syllable of your surname (Cue with a French accent on the e). But i'm not sure how good it sounds with 凱恩. The fourth tone may sound too harsh next to the third tone of 凱.

[skylee]

Also consider 古 (gu3).

If you like the meaning "river", you could actually use 河 (he2). This surname seems to be more common in Korea than in China. Alternatively, you could use 江 (jiang1), a common surname which also means river.

PS - How about simply using 古司農 (Gu3 Si1 Nong2) or 古思農 (Gu3 Si1 Nong2) (transliteration of la Couesnon) as your full name? Although it is the river's name, not your name, but they sound so good ....

[Lu]

古思農 does sound nice, and looks like it can be translated into a sentence with some deep meaning too (in ancient times people thought of the farmers? or something?). But wouldn't it be strange to have 农 in your name?

[Guoke]

How about 古天乐？ 天天快乐 - happy every day?

[kane0]

All your suggestions are great. Particularly good is the idea of the word "river" along with the given name Kai' En (凱恩); still, I do not know how it sounds to more fluent speakers like yourselves. Would anyone have a suggestion for a word relating to "river" to go with my given name 凱恩? Thank you all again very much.

[Guoke]

How about ‘川’？

‘川’ means ‘river’. It's pronounced 'chuan1' and probably sounds like 'Cuenant' too.

[kane0]

To me anything sounds interesting with the word 'river' or even the word 'estuary' with the name Kai En 凱恩; however, I don't know how it sounds to someone from Beijing and the rest of China. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks again everyone.

[kane0]

Is there a family name for 'river' or 'estuary' that sounds good with the given name (first name) Kai En 凱恩? I need it for working and studying in Beijing. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[skylee]

Why is it necessary to start a new thread again on your name?