大卫
Dàwèi
The English name David is translated into Mandarin as 大卫 (Dàwèi). Wiktionary also lists 大衛 / 大卫 / 大衞 / 大卫 (Dàwèi) and 戴維 / 戴维 (Dàiwéi).
Meaning: male given name (name)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 大卫 | Dàwèi |
| 大衛 / 大卫 / 大衞 / 大卫 | Dàwèi |
| 戴維 / 戴维 | Dàiwéi |
The phrase is used as a transliteration of the male given name David into Chinese.
Which one should you use?
大卫 (or its traditional variant 大衛) is the most common transliteration for the name David, while 戴维 (Dàiwéi) is a less common phonetic variant used for the same name.
How do you pronounce it?
Dàwèi
Did you know?
- The character 大 in 大卫 means 'big' or 'great', while 卫 means 'to guard' or 'protect'. While chosen for sound, the combination accidentally creates a name that sounds like 'great protector' in Chinese.
- While 'David' is a single name in English, a Chinese speaker would rarely use just 大卫 to address a friend. They would typically add a title or a familial term, like 大卫哥哥 (Brother David), to sound natural.
- In Chinese, names are often chosen for their auspicious meanings. Using a purely phonetic transliteration like 大卫 for a person's name is a westernized practice that lacks the traditional intention of selecting characters with specific positive qualities.
Examples in context
- 大卫的头发留了很多年了。David has been growing his hair for years.This sentence shows the use of 大卫 regarding hair length.Tatoeba #12569617 by lnvq, translation #11503381 by Amastan
- 大卫在家里。David is at home.This sentence shows the use of 大卫 to indicate someone's location.Tatoeba #2887849 by Popolon, translation #742109 by CN
- 我的首席策略师大卫-艾克斯罗德，他一直是追随我的伙伴。你们组建了政治史上最好的竞选团队，是你们成就了今天，我永远感谢你们为此所作出的牺牲。To my chief strategist, David Axelrod, who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics! You made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.This sentence shows the use of 大卫 when referring to a person's full name, David Axelrod.Tatoeba #347825 by zhouj1955, translation #347752 by Miktsoanit
- 这位是我们公司的大卫经理。This is our company's manager, David.
- 很高兴认识你，大卫经理。Nice to meet you, Manager David.
- 这是我的朋友，大卫。This is my friend, David.
- 你好，大卫！很高兴见到你。Hello, David! Nice to meet you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Junjie are talking about a mutual friend at a coffee shop.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen大卫今天去哪儿了？Dàwèi jīntiān qù nǎ'er le?Where did David go today?
- 俊杰 Junjie他去健身房了。Tā qù jiànshēnfáng le.He went to the gym.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen大卫总是很勤奋。Dàwèi zǒngshì hěn qínfèn.David is always very hardworking.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他经常锻炼。Shì de, tā jīngcháng duànliàn.Yes, he exercises often.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “david” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
