Tom:
I heard that the Chinese people are particular over first names, right?
听说中国人的名字都有讲究,是吗?
Han Meimei:
Yeah, most Chinese first names express the parents' hopes for the child. For example, the name "Qiang" for men means strong, and "Li" for women means beautiful. But names change a lot these days.
是啊,很多人的名字都有一定的含义,表示一定的愿望。比如男人的名字用“强”表示坚强,女人的名字用“丽”表示美丽。不过现在的名字变化很大。
Tom:
Mei, what does your name mean?
梅,你的这个“梅”字有什么含义吗?
Han Meimei:
I was born when the plum trees were blossoming, so my father hoped that I would be as beautiful as plum blossoms.
我是梅花盛开的时候生的,爸爸希望我能像梅花那么漂亮。
Tom:
I heard that all the children have nicknames, right?
听说孩子都有小名,是吗?
Han Meimei:
Yes, most kids have intimate nicknames like "Shi Tou" or "Xiao Hong".
是的,孩子一般都有小名,叫起来亲切一些。比如“石头”、“小红”什么的。