约翰
Yuēhàn
The English name John is translated into Chinese as 约翰 (Yuēhàn).
约翰 is a phonetic transliteration used specifically for the Western name John.
Meaning: male given name (name)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
Yuēhàn
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'John' can be used as a generic term for an anonymous person, such as 'John Doe', Chinese uses the phrase 张三 'Zhang San' for the same purpose.
- The character 约 in 约翰 can mean 'appointment' or 'agreement' and 翰 refers to a 'writing brush'. While chosen for sound, these characters give the name a scholarly and formal aesthetic.
- If a person named John wants to sound more 'local', they might choose a Chinese name that sounds slightly like 'John' but uses meaningful characters instead of a direct phonetic translation like 约翰.
Examples in context
- 约翰住在哪里？Where does John live?This sentence shows how to use 约翰 when asking about someone's residence.Tatoeba #399233 by GlossaMatik, translation #52673 by CN
- 约翰是我的好朋友。John is my good friend.
- 约拿先生，你好吗？Mr. John, how are you?
- 约翰是一名医生。Yuēhàn shì yī míng yīshēng.John is a doctor.
- 我不认识约翰。Wǒ bù rènshí Yuēhàn.I don't know John.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A colleague asks about a teammate's arrival.
- 雨婷 Yuting约翰今天来上班吗？Yuēhàn jīntiān lái shàngbān ma?Is John coming to work today?
- 俊杰 Junjie他不来了，生病了。Tā bù lái le, shēngbìng le.He is not coming, he is sick.
- 雨婷 Yuting他病得很严重吗？Tā bìng de hěn yánzhòng ma?Is he very seriously ill?
- 俊杰 Junjie不算严重，他需要休息。Bù suàn yánzhòng, tā xūyào xiūxí.It's not serious, he just needs to rest.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
