Message: "She-Lan (Chinese name)"

She-Lan (Chinese name)

by Megan (Megan7)

4/11/2008, 4:29 PM

I'm looking for a Chinese name that is pronounced she-lan (lan like in Alanna). It's was my adopted cousins name and I would like to know the correct spelling.

Also, is there a Chinese name that means 'helper' or 'servant'?

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- Ylva (guest) +3

4/13/2008, 6:18 PM

The correct spelling, do you mean in pinyin? Lan could mean "orchid", not uncommon in a girl's name. Lan rhymes with the English word "sun".

But one has to either know the meaning of the word or see the character to know.

- Megan (Megan7) +2

4/14/2008, 9:19 AM

Thanks, but I really just want to know how it's spelled. She-Lan is how it sounds phonetically, I want to know if that is how it is acually spelled. Like May is spelled Mei is China. I want to know how She and Lan are spelled in China.

- Rene +1

4/14/2008, 11:39 PM

You do know how they write in China, don't you?

How can "May" be spelled "Mei" in China if they use Hanzi, not Latin letters?

As long as you don't use Hanzi, i.e. proper Chinese characters, *all* spelling of She-Lan is *only* phonetical: writing in Latin characters, English-speaking people's style, of what those people heard when some Chinese people *spoke* the name She-Lan.

- Lumia

4/15/2008, 2:28 AM

Maybe she means written in pinyin, which is used as standard romanization of Mandarin (and probably of other Chinese languages, but I'm not sure about that).

- Rene +2

4/12/2008, 12:14 PM

What do you mean with "correct spelling"? Spelling of the name in Latin characters? That's difficult for Chinese names, as they are written in Hanzi, Chinese characters, and every writing with Latin characters can only be an approximation, and as an added bonus is language dependent - an English transliteration of a Chinese name is sometimes different from e.g. a German transliteration.

I think things can only be cleared up if the Hanzi used to write the name of your cousin become known.

- Megan (Megan7) +1

4/12/2008, 2:33 PM

I meant how it is spelled in English. Or if She-Lan was the correct spelling for the name. I don't know a lot about what letters/sounds are used to replace English sounds for Chinese names.

- Ocean Jewel (JungKyungSoon)

4/13/2008, 10:22 AM

I don't think it matters very much. My last anme is "Chu" in English, but in Hanyu Pingyin, its "Zhu" Then again, some poeple spell it "Ju" "Joo" "Zu" Zoo" "Choo"

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