Before we begin, a disclaimer from Dr. Candise Lin, the linguist who recorded the video. She wants people to understand that the words following each English name are not what that name means in Mandarin, but what it sounds like to a Mandarin speaker. This is similar to translating “thank you” to Greek, which sounds like “Sah F Harry Stowe” (Sas efcharistó). So, enjoy the funny English names for the humor that occurs in pronouncing them in an unfamiliar language. The name Robin sounds like Luo ben, which translates to “running naked,” or “streaking.” The surname Robinson sounds like Luo ben shen, which translates to “God of running naked.” Right now, Robin Williams is looking down here and laughing. Because if anyone could laugh at how we say a funny English name, it is him. Please bear in mind that Mandarin is a spoken language only. The written language is either Chinese (Simplified) or Chinese (Traditional), and refers to the symbols you see on the video. Dr. Candise Lin can only approximate the spellings in her pronunciation examples. This is what can make translations from one language to another fun. Mason in English sounds like the Mandarin word mei shen, which means “God of beauty.” Nicholas isn’t so favorable. It sounds like Ni kou si le in Mandarin and translates to “You are so stingy.” Robert reminds a Mandarin speaker of Luo bo, which is “carrot.” Martha brings us another food “twist” because it sounds like Ma hua, which is “fried donut twist.” Jeff sounds like Jie fu, which is “brother-in-law” in Mandarin. Why English Names Sound Funny To A Mandarin Speaker Dr. Candise Lin offered more funny examples of how English names remind a Mandarin speaker of words in their language. All languages and dialects have similarities in some words. Sometimes, the words are very close in meaning, such as “computer” in English and “kumbiutir” in Arabic. In these examples from the spoken Mandarin language, the similarities end with the sound, providing us with a laugh. Dr. Candise Lin holds a PhD in Educational Psychology. She tutors Cantonese and Mandarin. She also provides cultural commentary and language lessons blended with good old-fashioned comedy. You can follow her on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram for similar content and laugh while you learn. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Chinese Woman Shares “English Names That Sound Funny To Mandarin Speakers” appeared first on InspireMore.