Funny Chinglish Names
Jill and I teach kids between the ages of 5 and 13. And they often have funny names. That’s because when they start studying English, which is usually when they’re 5 or 6 or 7, they get to choose their own English names. Why? Because their Chinese names probably don’t have a romanized equivalent, and their odd pronunciation and tones would simply sound weird in an English context.
As it happens, students–and, quite often, their parents–sometimes choose amusing names. Sometimes unwittingly, but often times quite knowingly.
Here’re a few funny ones. None of these are our students; these come from fellow teachers (I’ve been keeping a list). Just imagine a pint-size Taiwanese child being called:
Nokia
Konika
Ketchup
SuperPig
Demon
Pizza
Tiger (his father’s name, FYI, is Panther)
Wee-wee
Next up in our Chinese studies: Jill and I get to choose our Chinese names. Stay tuned…