Nirvana in Fire, characters' names in Chinese characters and also translations

[extrapenguin]

Should you wish to search for fanworks of a character on Chinese sites, I've used the NIF baidu page to compile a list of everyone's name here. I've also used MDBG to translate some characters' names, as well as linked to posts on characters' names' meanings by llonkrebboj when applicable. The choice of who to choose was essentially "do I remember this person or is this person in lesbloggerables's character guide?" There might be nothing special, or the warrior character might be called "War Hero". Note that a lot of the surnames are just "surname X", but I included the potential literal meanings for your entertainment and to make the list longer.


Baili Qi 百里奇 Bǎilǐ Qí
Baili: Hundred li – approx. 500m.
Qi: strange, odd

Cai Quan 蔡荃 Cài Quán
Quan: a type of fragrant plant

Fei Liu 飞流 Fēi Liú
Fei: to fly
Liu: to flow, to move/drift, stream of water

Gao Sheng 高升 Gāo Shēng capital magistrate
Gaosheng: to get a promotion
...he needs one to deal with the shit MCS throws at him

Gao Zhan 高湛 Gāo Zhàn
Gao: high, tall, above average
Zhan: deep, clear (water)
also, this was apparently the personal name of Emperor Wucheng of Qi

Gong Yu 宫羽 Gōng Yǔ
Gong: palace, temple, the 1st note in the pentatonic scale
Yu: feather, the 5th note in the pentatonic scale
ah yes, musical terms as a name for the musician, not subtle at all

He Jingzhong 何敬中 Hé Jìngzhong minister of personnel, team Yu
Jing: to respect, to venerate
Zhōng: within, among, middle, center
Zhòng: to hit (the mark), to suffer

Consort Hui 惠 Huì
Hui: favor, benefit

Consort Jing 静 Jìng
Jing: still, calm, quiet
see also this; 静 decomposes into 青 qīng "nature's color" and 争 zhēng "to strive for"

Jun-niang 隽 Jùn
when pronounced Juàn: meaningful, significant

Li Gang 黎纲 Lí Gāng
Li: dark, many
Gang: head rope of a fishing net, guiding principle

Lie Zhanying 列战英 Liè Zhànyīng
Lie: to arrange, to line up
Zhan: to fight, war, battle
Ying: hero, outstanding, excellent
AKA the reason I'm doing this. Why yes, of course Jingyan's second-in-command and chief organizer is called "arrange an outstanding war"/"line up war heroes".

Lin Chen 蔺晨 Lìn Chén
Lin: common rush
Chen: dawn

Lin Xie 林燮 Lín Xiè
Lin: woods, forest
Xie: to blend, to adjust, to harmonize

Princess Linglong 玲珑 Línglóng
linglong: clink of jewels, exquisite, clever, nimble

Liu Cheng 柳澄 Liǔ Chéng Grand Secretariat, stays out of fight for the throne, grandfather of Empress Liu
Liu: willow
Cheng: clear, limpid, to clarify, to purigy

Grand Princess Liyang 莅阳 Lìyáng
Li: to attend, to be present, to administer
Yang: the Yang in yin and yang

Lou Zhijing 楼之敬 Lóu Zhījìng minister of finance, team CP
Lou: house with more than 1 story
Zhi: (possessive particle), him/her/it
Jing: to respect, to venerate
his name apparently translates to "house of respect"

Lu Yuan 路原 Lù Yuán eldest of kid trio that defeated Baili Qi
Lu: road, journey
Yuan: former, original, primary
(Also: 原原本本 yuányuánběnběn from beginning to end, in its entirety)

Mei Changsu/Su Zhe/Lin Shu 梅长苏/苏哲/林殊 Méi Chángsū/Sū Zhé/Lín Shū
Mei: plum
Chang: long, forever, always
Su: revive
Zhe: wise
Lin: woods, forest
Shu: different, unique, special; to die, to cut off, to separate
Some reading of his chosen appellations – méi chángsū ~ méi (lǐng) cáng shū "Shu hidden in Meiling"; sū zhé ~ shū zhé "Shu has died". Some background on the surname Lin.

Meng Zhi 蒙挚 Méng Zhì
Meng: drizzle; blind; ignorant
Zhi: sincere

Mu Nihuang 穆霓凰 Mù Níhuáng
Mu: solemn, reverent
Ni: secondary rainbow; Japanese cicada
Huang: Chinese phoenix/fenghuang

Mu Qing 穆青 Mù Qīng
Qing: color of nature, green or blue, youth

Nie Feng 聂锋 Niè Fēng the yeti
Nie: to whisper
Feng: vanguard, point of a spear
I guess he was made the vanguard person because his name was "vanguard".

Qi Hong 其红 Qí Hóng Empress's head maid
Qi: (grammar)
Hong: red

Qi Meng 戚猛 Qī Měng fratboy general with the sword-gun
Qi: relative, parent, grief, sorrow, battle-axe
Meng: ferocious, fierce, violent, brave

Qi Min 齐敏 Qí Mǐn minister of justice, team Yu
Qi: neat, even, identical
Min: quick, nimble, clever

Qin Banruo 秦般弱 Qín Bānruò
Banruo: Buddhist phrase meaning "wisdom, insight on the true nature of reality"; Chinese translation of prajñā

Shen Zhui 沈追 Shěn Zhuī
Shen: liquid, to pour
Zhui: to seek, to do one's utmost to seek/procure something

Tingsheng 庭生 Tíngshēng
Ting: main hall, front courtyard
Sheng: to be born
"palace-born"

Tong Lu 童路 Tóng Lù
Tong: child
Lu: road, journey

Wei Zheng 卫峥 Wèi Zhēng Chiyan survivor captured by Xia Jiang
Wei: to guard, to protect
Zheng: excel, lofty

Xia Jiang 夏江 Xià Jiāng
Xia: summer
Jiang: river

Xia Chun 夏春 Xià Chūn
Xia Dong 夏冬 Xià Dōng
Xia Qiu 夏秋 Xià Qiū
Chun: spring
Dong: winter
Qiu: autumn
There's also a hilarious fanfic series with translation about the Missing Apprentice, Xia Xia (夏夏).

Xiao Jinghuan 萧景桓 (Prince Yu 誉) Xiāo Jǐnghuán, Yù
Xiao: miserable, desolate, dreary
Jing: scenery, circumstance, bright (here it's the "generation level" indicator)
Huan: big, pillar
(also: 桓桓 huánhuán mighty, powerful)
Yu: reputation
Or, "huan" means "mighty, powerful", and he's also named after a chunk of historic power-seekers.

Xiao Jingrui 萧景睿 Xiāo Jǐngruì
Rui: astute, perspicacious, farsighted
also totally foreshadows his illegitimacy

Xiao Jingting 萧景亭 (Prince Ning 宁) Xiāo Jǐngtíng, Níng
Ting: pavilion, balanced, even
Ning: peaceful, to pacify, to visit

Xiao Jingxuan 萧景宣 (Prince Xian 献) Xiāo Jǐngxuān, Xiàn Crown Prince
Xuan: to declare, to announce
–or, Xuan: pampered, easy
Xian: to offer, to dedicate, to display

Xiao Jingyan 萧景琰 (Prince Jing 靖) Xiāo Jǐngyǎn, Jìng
Yan: glitter of gems
(or just smash the "Emperor" character and the "blazing flame" character together)
Jìng: quiet, peaceful, pacify
(which decomposes into "stand" and "best")

Xiao Jingyu 萧景禹 (Prince Qi 祁) Xiāo Jǐngyǔ, Qí
Yu: after Yu the Great, a mythical leader who tamed the floods
(also "good moral character")
Qi: large, vast

Xiao ?? (Prince Huai 淮) Huái Emperor's brother? An unambitious son?
Huai: name of a river

Xiao ?? (Prince Ji 纪) Jì
Ji: order, discipline, age, era, to chronicle

Xiao Xuan 萧选 Xiāo Xuǎn the Emperor
Xuan: to choose, to select
(or "to involve)

Xie Bi 谢弼 Xiè Bì Jingrui's little brother
Xie: to thank, to apologize; to wither, to decline
Bi: to assist
...did they really name him "to assist"?

Xie Qi 谢绮 Xiè Qǐ Jingrui's little sister and sister-in-law
Qi: beautiful, open-work silk

Xie Yu 谢玉 Xiè Yù Jingrui's other dad, team CP
Yu: jade
have some irony and background on the surname

Xu Anmo 徐安谟 Xú Ānmó the guy whose army Yu borrows
Xu: slowly, gently
An: content, still, secure, in good health, to bring (a charge against somebody), to harbor (good intentions), security
Mo: plan, practice

Doctor Yan 晏 Yàn yells at MCS a lot
Yan: late, quiet

Empress Yan 言 Yán
Yan: words, speech, to talk

Yan Que 言阙 Yán Què
Que: watchtower, deficiency
extra background on the surname and what que means

Yan Yujin 言豫津 Yán Yùjīn
Yu: happy, carefree
Jin: a ferry crossing
similarities between his name and Jingyu and Yueyao's

Noble Consort Yue 越 Yuè CP's mom
Yue: to exceed, to surpass

Yue Xiuze 岳秀泽 Yuè Xiùzé that martial arts guy from Southern Chu
Yue: high mountain
Xiu: handsome, refined, elegant, graceful
Ze: pool, pond

Yuwen Nian 宇文念 Yǔwén Niàn Southern Chu princess
Yu: room, universe
Wen: language, culture
Nian: to read, to study, idea, remembrance

Yuwen Xuan 宇文暄 Yǔwén Xuān Southern Chu dude
Xuan: genial and warm

Zhen Ping 甄平 Zhēn Píng
Zhen: to distinguish, to evaluate
Ping: flat, equal, calm, peaceful

Zhuo Dingfeng 卓鼎风 Zhuó Dǐngfēng Jingrui's Jianghu dad
Zhuo: outstanding
Ding: a type of cooking cauldron, pot
Feng: wind

Zhuo Qingyao 卓青遥 Zhuó Qīngyáo Jingrui's big brother and brother-in-law
Qing: nature's color, green or blue, youth
Yao: distant, remote

If you find something obviously wrong, comment. Otherwise, well, does anyone's name fill you with a sense of irony or "oh yes, that's appropriate" or "LOL Hai Yan"? Any intriguing interpretations of nomen est omen you can come up with?

Comments

[brownbetty]

Thank you for this, because I was getting confused by names thinking they were the same, not realizing they were different.

[extrapenguin]

I can see that – the Lin of Lin Shu and the Lin of Lin Chen aren't the same and aren't even pronounced the same (different tone), but in diacritic-free pinyin, the differences are eliminated.

[circumference_pie]

Ahhh this is such a good resource! Thank you!

[extrapenguin]

You're welcome!