特蕾莎
Tèlěishā
Teresa is a female given name in Chinese, most commonly written as 特蕾莎 (Tèlěishā). Wiktionary also lists 特雷莎 (Tèléishā) and 特麗薩 / 特丽萨 (Tèlìsà).
Meaning: female given name (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 特蕾莎 | Tèlěishā |
| 特雷莎 | Tèléishā |
| 特麗薩 / 特丽萨 | Tèlìsà |
| 特里薩 | Tèlǐsà |
| 德蕾莎 | Délěishā |
What does it mean word for word?
In these transliterations, the character 特 is a common phonetic component used to represent the 'te' sound in foreign names.
Which one should you use?
While 特蕾莎 is the most common transliteration used in mainland China for the name Teresa, 德蕾莎 is frequently used specifically when referring to Mother Teresa (德蕾莎修女). Other variations like 特雷莎, 特麗薩 / 特丽萨 and 特里薩 also exist as different ways to transcribe the name.
How do you pronounce it?
Tèlěishā
Did you know?
- The character 蕾 used in many versions of the name actually means 'flower bud', adding a hidden layer of femininity to the phonetic transcription.
- Chinese speakers rarely use 'Teresa' as a given name for native children. It is almost always recognized as a 'loan name' for foreigners or converts to Christianity.
- In Chinese, when transliterating 'Teresa', the character 莎 is almost always used to represent the 'sa' sound, even though its literal meaning is a type of sedge grass.
Examples in context
- 特蕾莎修女被授予諾貝爾獎。Mother Teresa was given the Nobel prize.This sentence is useful for mentioning Mother Teresa using 特蕾莎.Tatoeba #891326 by Martha, translation #32862 by CM
- 退休後，德蕾莎投身照顧孤兒的工作。After retirement, Teresa devoted herself to caring for orphans.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 德蕾莎 in a sentence.Tatoeba #337292 by nickyeow, translation #239649 by hecko
- 我的朋友叫特丽莎My friend's name is Teresa.
- 丽丽是特丽莎的昵称Lily is Teresa's nickname.
- 我想找特蕾莎。Wǒ xiǎng zhǎo Tèlēishā.I want to find Teresa.
Example conversation
A man asks a woman about a coworker at the office.
- 志强 Zhiqiang妳知道特蕾莎在哪裡嗎？Nǐ zhīdào Tèlēishā zài nǎlǐ ma?Do you know where Teresa is?
- 雨婷 Yuting特蕾莎現在不在辦公室。Tèlēishā xiànzài bù zài bàngōngshì.Teresa is not in the office right now.
- 志强 Zhiqiang她今天請假了嗎？Tā jīntiān qǐngjià le ma?Did she take the day off today?
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，她今天沒來。Shì de, tā jīntiān méi lái.Yes, she didn't come today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teresa” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
