Convert Your English Name into Chinese
Common names use the form already established in Chinese publications, so Emily is 艾米丽 and Johnson is 约翰逊.
How the converter works
- Common names use the form already established in Chinese publications, so Emily is 艾米丽 and Johnson is 约翰逊.
- Other names are split into syllables and matched to the characters usually used for those sounds.
- Words keep your order and are joined with a middle dot (·), the convention for foreign names in Chinese.
- Everything runs in your browser. Your name isn't sent anywhere.
How foreign names are written in Chinese
Chinese doesn't have an alphabet, so a foreign name has to be spelled with characters that sound like it. This is called transliteration (音译, yīnyì). Each character is chosen for its sound, and the meaning of the characters is mostly ignored.
Chinese publishers, news agencies and translators follow shared conventions so that the same name is written the same way everywhere. Emily is 艾米丽 in a novel, a newspaper and a visa document alike. Reference works such as the Names of the World's Peoples (世界人名翻译大辞典), compiled by Xinhua News Agency, list standard forms for hundreds of thousands of names, and that is the style our converter follows.
Why some characters keep coming up
Transliteration uses a fairly small set of characters again and again, because they have neutral meanings and clear sounds:
- 尔 ěr for "-r" and "-l" endings: 迈克尔 Michael, 丹尼尔 Daniel.
- 斯 sī for "s": 詹姆斯 James, 克里斯 Chris.
- 丽 lì, 娜 nà, 莎 shā often appear in women's names: 艾米丽 Emily, 安娜 Anna, 莎拉 Sarah.
- 克 kè for "k" sounds: 杰克 Jack, 马克 Mark.
- 森 sēn for "-son": 约翰森 Johansen, 杰森 Jason.
Seeing these characters is part of what makes a name look foreign to Chinese readers. It's also why a transliteration never reads as a Chinese name, even when the sounds are close.
Men's and women's names
Translators often pick softer or more feminine characters for women's names. Compare 丽 (beautiful), 娜 (graceful) and 莉 (jasmine) in women's names with 克, 德 and 尔 in men's. The same sound can be written differently by gender: the "-lie" in Natalie may become 莉, while a man's name ending in "-ly" might use 利.
Why the result can differ from what you've seen
You may find your name written in more than one way. There are a few reasons:
- Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan conventions differ. Hong Kong transliterations follow Cantonese sounds, so the same name may be written with different characters there.
- Some people have chosen their own form. Celebrities, athletes and politicians sometimes adopt a form that differs from the standard one, and the media follows them.
- Uncommon names have no single standard. For names not in the reference lists, translators build the name from syllables, and two translators may choose differently. Our converter marks these results as approximate.
If you'll use the name on an official document in China, ask the issuing office whether they need a particular form. For everyday use, the standard form is the safest choice.
Writing your full name
A full foreign name keeps its Western order in Chinese. The parts are separated by a middle dot (·), which tells readers where one name ends and the next begins: Emily Johnson becomes 艾米丽·约翰逊. Middle names are usually dropped or shortened to an initial.
This is different from a Chinese name, where the family name comes first and there's no dot. See Chinese name order for how that works.
Examples
- Emily Johnson → 艾米丽·约翰逊 (Àimǐlì Yuēhànxùn)
- Michael Brown → 迈克尔·布朗 (Màikè'ěr Bùlǎng)
- Sarah Miller → 莎拉·米勒 (Shālā Mǐlè)
- David Wilson → 大卫·威尔逊 (Dàwèi Wēi'ěrxùn)
- Sophie Martin → 索菲·马丁 (Suǒfēi Mǎdīng)
Notice how long some names become. Johnson takes three characters, and a long name such as Alexandra takes five (亚历山德拉). This length is another reason transliterations feel foreign: most Chinese names have two or three characters in total.
When a transliteration is the right choice
A transliteration is what you want when your existing name needs to appear in Chinese:
- Translated documents, certificates and contracts.
- Signs, menus and name cards where your English name is already known.
- Introducing yourself to people who will also see your English name.
- Books, articles and subtitles that mention you.
When you need a Chinese name instead
A transliteration isn't a Chinese name. If you're learning Mandarin, working with Chinese colleagues or want a name that Chinese speakers will hear as a real name, you need a Chinese family name and a given name chosen for meaning, such as 林安然. Read how to choose a Chinese name, browse ideas with the Chinese name generator or get a name chosen for you.
Limitations
The converter covers common English names and builds the rest from syllables. It can't know how you personally pronounce an unusual name, it doesn't check how a name sounds in Cantonese or other dialects, and it won't pick a form that a particular person has already made famous. For anything printed or permanent, ask a native speaker to look at the result.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I write my name in Chinese?
- Type it into the converter above. Common names use the established form (Michael is 迈克尔); other names are built from their syllables. Foreign names keep their order and are joined with a middle dot, as in 艾米丽·约翰逊.
- What does my name mean in Chinese?
- Usually nothing in particular. Transliteration characters are chosen for sound, so 艾米丽 doesn't form a meaningful phrase, though translators avoid characters with bad meanings. If you want meaning, choose a Chinese name instead.
- How do I say "my name is" in Chinese?
- Say 我叫 (wǒ jiào) followed by your name, for example 我叫艾米丽 (Wǒ jiào Àimǐlì). To ask someone's name, say 你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?).
- Is a converted name the same as a Chinese name?
- No. A transliteration sounds like your name but Chinese speakers will read it as foreign. A Chinese name uses a Chinese family name and a given name chosen for meaning, like 林安然.
Looking for your own Chinese name?
A converted name is your English name written in Chinese, and it will always read as foreign. A Chinese name has a Chinese family name and a given name chosen for its meaning, and it should suit you and where you will use it.