The Formation¹ of Chinese Names

中国人名字的构成

In China,most people's names have two parts,the family names and the given names. One person may have different names. For example, when they are very young at home,they usually have pet names. In school and society they use their formal² names. If someone is a writer, he or she has a pen name. Most of the names have special meanings. Some show their parents wishes. Girls' names show that their parents want them to be nice.

在中国，大多数人的名字有两个部分，姓和名。一个人可能有不同的名字。例如，当他们还小时，在家里他们通常有昵称。在学校和社会，他们用自己的正式名字。如果某人是一个作家，他或她有一个笔名。大多数的名称具有特殊的含义。有的展示自己的父母的愿望。女孩的名字表明，他们的父母希望她们友善待人。