1.8 Personal Names

Hong Kong Cantonese speakers usually have a full name with three syllables. The first syllable is the surname. The second and third syllables are the first name.

Surname
First Name

lei5
志樂
zi3 lok6

Some people have a first name with only one syllable. In that case, the full name consists of only two syllables.

Surname
First Name

jip6

laam4

There are a few two-syllable surnames (e.g., 歐陽 au1 joeng4 and 司徒 si1 tou4). Depending on whether the first name contains one or two syllables, the full name may consist of three or four syllables.

Surname
First Name
歐陽
au1 joeng4

fung1
司徒
si1 tou4
浩南
hou6 naam4

After we choose a Cantonese name, the name will be translated into English based on the Cantonese pronunciation. Note that this English translation differs from the Romanized Cantonese we use, as it follows a different set of rules by convention. The English translation is used in items like identity cards and credit cards.

Surname
First Name
志樂
← Chinese characters
lei5
zi3 lok6
← Romanized Cantonese
Lee
Chi Lok
← English translation

In everyday life, we don’t often use full names to refer to someone, except in school. Here are some common ways to refer to someone.

1.

We take the last syllable of the name and add the prefix for names aa3 before it.

⚠️ The prefix for names 阿 aa3 and the sentence particle 呀 aa3 are pronounced the same, but they are different words.

aa3 + Last syllable of name

陳漢發 → 阿 + 發 =  阿發
can4 hon3 faat3 → aa3 + faat3 = aa3 faat3

羅穎詩 → 阿 + 詩 =  阿詩
lo4 wing6 si1 → aa3 + si1 = aa3 si1

2.

It is also common to use English names, especially in workplace. If the English name has only one syllable (e.g., May, Pat), we often add the prefix for names 阿 aa3 before it.

aa3 + English name with one syllable

May → 阿 + May =  阿May
May → aa3 + May = aa3 May

Pat → 阿 + Pat =  阿Pat
Pat → aa3 + Pat = aa3 Pat

3.

When we refer to a child or want to refer to someone intimately, we can take the last syllable of the name and duplicate it.

⚠️ We rarely refer to ourselves this way.

Last syllable of name + Last syllable of name

鄭有傑 → 傑 + 傑 =  傑傑
zeng6 jau5 git6 → git6 + git6 = git6 git6

鄭有俊 → 俊 + 俊 =  俊俊
zeng6 jau5 zeon3 → zeon3 + zeon3 = zeon3 zeon3

If the last syllable of the name is the low falling tone (Tone 4), we often change the duplicated syllable to the high rising tone (Tone 2).

Last syllable of name (Tone 4) + Last syllable of name (Tone 4 → Tone 2)

周志良 → 良 + 良 =  良良
zau1 zi3 loeng4 → loeng4 + loeng2 = loeng4 loeng2

林子圓 → 圓 + 圓 =  圓圓
lam4 zi2 jyun4 → jyun4 + jyun2 = jyun4 jyun2