Chinese 101
Posted at 9:49 am October 19, 2005 by site adminFrom the WebKeeper:
Apparently, it seems, we unintentionally caused an uproar with some of our panda followers when we posted some suggested pronunciations of the proposed names by Gigi (“Help Us Name the Baby Panda!” comment #52), while at the same time awaiting for a more definitive listing from our Panda Research staff. And, boy, did we get a crash course in Speaking Chinese 101! As it turns out, region as well as dialect can prompt different pronunciations of certain words (i.e., in Boston they may say “caaaah” while we say “car”). Couple that with the fact that many Chinese sounds don’t have corresponding English (or American) sounds makes our phonetic translations a bit difficult.
Thanks to Stephanie (“Help Us Name the Baby Panda!” comment #59) and Brett (#88-89) for offering their more precise clarifications. We certainly weren’t trying to convey any disrespect to the Chinese language by offering up those initial suggestions for pronunciations: we were simply trying to offer assistance to all the others’ comments that asked, “So, how do you pronounce the names?” It was either that or leave everyone else to their own pronunciation attempts.
After further distillation, Suzanne Hall of the Giant Panda Team has offered up these pronunciations, but she also defers in part to Brett’s and Stephanie’s comments:
Jiao Mei: Jow (as in “wow”) May
Jiao Yan: Jow (as in “wow”) Yan
Su Lin: Sue Lynn
Bao Bei: Bow (as in “wow”) Bay
Zhong Da: Djong (similar to the G in “george” but a tough translation to English) Daa (like “baa baa black sheep”)
It might not be definitive, but hopefully these will help those wanting to know how to pronounce – or at least make an educated attempt to pronounce – the proposed names.
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October 19th, 2005 at 10:15 am
After noticing that several people said they are going on the SDZoo panda trip in April and I decided to look it up. My deposit was mailed today. Thanks for talking about it. Now we can ask the people in Wolong and Chengdu how to pronounce the names!!! Maybe all our bloggers can be called ” The Panda People.” After we come back, there will be plenty to share here on our bulletin board.
October 19th, 2005 at 10:32 am
I know another idea for a name for the baby panda, call her either Hua Lun, which means ” China San Diego, graceful” or Hsing Yun, which means ” Star of San Diego” .
October 19th, 2005 at 10:37 am
Thank you for realizing how many of us are watching our ” little bit of something very cute” grow. Keeping us up on everything is very much appreciated. Your work is amazing! As is our baby.
October 19th, 2005 at 10:42 am
Wow! I have just read through the comments by our many readers who are well versed in Chinese… what an interesting read! Thanks to everyone for posting their thoughts on the matter. I am most definitely NOT a native Chinese speaker but thought I might be able to help those like me get their minds around the name choices. Sounds to me that there are many of you out there more qualified to speak on the subject! Thanks to the reader who posted the characters for some of the names… hopefully that will help those of you in ” the know” .
FYI we (the panda team) had the opportunity to come up with names based on our own personal research into the matter. The list was narrowed to a few and run by our Chinese liason, who commented on them and helped narrow the list to five. That list of five has been presented to you for your votes. The Chinese liason did comment on a few of the names (” this one is a little formal” , etc.) but we won’t tell you those comments so as not to bias your selection. My personal feelings are: although we want to honor the Chinese heritage of the panda in this naming process, we also need to pick a name based on what reflects OUR thoughts and feelings about the signifcance of this individual bear… so as long as any of the names could be considered acceptable, we should vote for the name that moves us! Enjoy!
October 19th, 2005 at 11:13 am
I just want to thank everyone involved in the care of the pandas–including coming up with the names that we have the PRIVILEGE to vote on. I feel honored that we as a country are able and blessed enough to watch not one, but 2 panda babies and their mommies as they go through this very special time. THANK YOU to the PANDA team!!!!
October 19th, 2005 at 11:16 am
Hiya thanks for the info. Really though I personally feel that however we, in whatever country and tongue we use, pronounce the name, we also keep in mind the meaning of the name, and this stays with us when we speak the name of our precious babygirl. I know I pronounce my own name V – and a definitive AH – lerie. My friend in Colorado pronounces it V – AAALLL -erie, my friend in Washington V – aaalri, so different areas of the same country, but different ways of saying my name therefore different sounds. All in all though, the meaning is the same in any language when it comes to naming babygirl. Just my two cents/pennyworth hee hee !! Take care, Valerie Warburton – uk.
October 19th, 2005 at 11:19 am
I’m a japanese brasilian, speak Portuguese and Japanese, trying to learn English and so, how can I pronounce perfectly the names in Chinese ?
October 19th, 2005 at 11:20 am
Our little bundle of joy is sleeping a lot today! Thank you for the assistance with pronouncing the names, before Chinese 101 I too was lost! I find myself hooked between watching baby girl panda and the other black-n-white beautiful creature on the web cam…Shamu!
October 19th, 2005 at 11:27 am
I was hoping SDZ would take suggestions from the public as to a choice of names for the little panda girl. My suggestion would have been Miracle of Nature. Not having that option, I voted for Bao Bei – pricelss is close to miracle!
October 19th, 2005 at 11:39 am
Thank you for giving us the pronunciations. I really appreciate how you respond to our requests…
Cindy
October 19th, 2005 at 11:42 am
VERY WELL PUT SUZANNE….I WENT FOR THE NAME THAT MOVED ME…HANG IN THERE…YOU’VE DONE A GREAT JOB…THE ” TEAM DID A GREAT JOB” AND STILL ” DOING” …YOUR INTENTIONS ARE TO MAKE US A PART OF THIS PROCESS…BE EASY ON YOURSELF..AND SELVES…ANY WAY WE SAY IT…LOVE TAKES THE PRECEDENCE!!!!!!
October 19th, 2005 at 11:42 am
Watching the cub is so great, but it seemed yesterday she was very restless and now today has been sleeping a lot (and it seems very dark). Is this just growing and exploring time and then she’s worn out after? And where is mom? I don’t think I’ve seen her as much yesterday and today. Just wondering. Kathy
October 19th, 2005 at 11:54 am
We are seriously thinking about going with the zoo group to China. Anyone who has been there please share your experience with us.. Our dream is to be up close and personal with this precious creature…The baby still looks like a Siu Lin to our household..
October 19th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
Hello! Any way that these lovely names are pronounced they are beautiful!
October 19th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
I enjoy watching our US born Panda babies and our wonderful Orcas everyday. Who needs screensavers and wallpapers when you have such wonderful creations to watch. Thanks for all the great information. I love watching the exams too…maybe the team could talk and explain stuff during the exam. Just a thought.
October 19th, 2005 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for the clarification. At first I wanted to pick the name which was the easiest to pronounce. After reading your comment about really picking one that ” moves” us and most fitting for our most adorable little treasure, I changed my mind. I hope that everyone would follow your suggestion and pick a name that truly moves them, not taking into account just the pronunciation.
October 19th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
I have LOVED these Pandas ever since I first saw them in person in November of 2003!! They are the MOST amazing animals and so sweet. I truly appreciate all the good work the San Diego Zoo Panda team does to care for these wonderful creatures! I am a little worried about the new baby though… because every time I have checked the Panda Cam during the last 10 days or do, Bai Yun is never with the baby. Am I just tuning in at the wrong time, or has Bai Yun deserted the little one? It seems so tiny and lonely!
October 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
I am happy to know that the baby girl has her first tooth already… However, to me it seems that she’s growing slowly, gaining barely half a pound every week. Bai Yun seems to be out for a long time and maybe the baby is not eating as much as she should be. Could that be the case? Maybe I am just worrying too much.
October 19th, 2005 at 3:52 pm
Thanks Panda Team for your attention to the details and for addressing the many questions and requests we have (I know there are many!)!
October 19th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
It looks like mom is going back to her usual activities, but I’ve seen her return to nurse baby girl. She still seems like a wonderful mother to our cub,who looks like she needs to sleep after wiggling a lot. Mom probably wants to be outside to eat, etc. This seems like a normal progression, don’t you think?
October 19th, 2005 at 4:17 pm
I agree with Teresa, comment #17 about mom not being with her baby for a very long time. I just watched the time lapse video from Oct. 18 and the cub seemed to be all by herself from 8am til 6pm. This is somewhat unsettling as the cub may miss the nurturing and bonding from mom.
October 19th, 2005 at 6:02 pm
Thanks for lesson in Chinese 101. For what it’s worth I still insist pronunciations do count the most: Does Jow May, Jow Yan, Bow Bay, Djong Daa sound like a name for our dainty girl? No more so than the name Butch would if you consider the pronunciation and the meaning. The pronunciation will predominate long after most people won’t remember, or never knew, the Chinese meaning. Only Sue Lynn fits as for pronunciation and meaning.
October 19th, 2005 at 7:16 pm
Agree with comment #17, 20, 21. No wonder the littel girl only gained a little weight this week. (7.78 pound this week and 7.6 last week!) She is definitely slowing down! Is she all right??
October 19th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
Speaking of a different language. Since these panda cubs were born and raised in America, I couldn’t help wonder once they return back to China, will the zoo keepers in China have any ” language barrier” to train and communicate with these Americanized young panda bears? In Hua Mei’s case, it must be hard for her in the beginning. She’s such a smart, and healthy panda, I miss her so very much!!
October 19th, 2005 at 7:45 pm
I like the idea of keeping Mei in the girl’s name but also agree that in Chinese, people often call little babies as Bao Bei or Bao Bao. Why don’t we provide two names for the beautiful girl: one formal one that will be printed on her birth certificate, which I would vote for Jiao Mei; one nickname that will be used within the family, which I would vote for Bao Bei.
October 19th, 2005 at 7:57 pm
Hi,
I am worried about the baby. The mom left her at 10:30 this morning and it is now 9pm and she hasn’t returned. Will the baby be alright without food for that long???
October 19th, 2005 at 8:01 pm
I totally agree that pronounciation is most important. However, everyone will pronounce it differently. This is to be expected. I speak fluent mandarin, which is the standard dialect that all chinese speak and learn in school and to me the name ” Jiao Mei” sounds the most appropriate for this beautiful little cub. This name not only sounds nice but it is also modern. In chinese when you hear the name ” Jiao Mei” you expect to see a very pretty girl who is also unique and you know she is very precious to her parents. Hence this name is not a common name because your daughter will have to live up to this expectation. It also keeps with the tradition of having ” Mei” in the name (although these days it is not neccessarily the case in chinese families). The name ” ZhongDa” is appropriate for a boy and you will not find any chinese calling their girl by that name. The name ” Jiao Yan” is also a girls’ name and it’s not a bad name but it’s meaning and sound is not as feminine and beautiful as ” Jiao Mei” . The name ” SuLing” is also a girls’ name but a little old fashioned (it was a popular name during the first half of the 20th century). The sound of ” ling” is used 99% of the time in combination with other words for girls name, but with ” Su” is old fashion. Finally the name ” Bao Bei” is not a name. It is a term to describe anything that is dear to you and it is mostly used as an adjective. This can range from describing objects such as cars to motorcyles. I hope I am not offending anyone and just expressing my opinion as a native mandarin speaker.
October 19th, 2005 at 8:12 pm
Hi Team:
Thanks so much for our Chinese lesson in the names for the little girl. I appreciate your efforts as always. You all do such a wonderful job. Keep up the wonderful work with the little one.
Today I noticed baby was really skirting around the den and I believe I saw her up on all four’s but falling down and rolling around but her back seems so much stronger and she can hold her head up better. I agree with many of the writers that Bai seems to be spending a lot of time out of the den but when she returns she lets the baby drink as much as she wants and plays and plays with her and gives her so much attention. She is still a terrific mother. I was worring about the baby but I do feel everything is fine in her milestones.
Thank you.
Suzy
October 20th, 2005 at 6:28 am
I think all the names fit the baby, but my personal choice is Jiao Mei because that ties in so well with Hua Mei and Mei Sheng. Sort of keeps it all in the family. I really enjoy the information contained in this blog. Thanks
October 20th, 2005 at 7:51 am
Good Morning: I was curious after watching the latest video of the exam (by the way which was wonderful as they all are!) wondering about the vet tickling the cubs feet. Was this to get a response for a specific test or was she just having fun? I am so jealous of the zoo keepers that get to carry the cub in and out for the exams. I want to do that! Thanks for considering my question and thanks to all of you at the Zoo for a wonderful website that we can all look at and say: oooohhhh how cute! Have a wonderful day!
October 20th, 2005 at 9:10 am
Just wanted to say I appreciate and agree with Victoria’s comments about the names. I am not Chinese but speak Mandarin fluently and lived in Taiwan/Hong Kong/Guanghzhou for 18 years. She expressed in words what I was thinking. As for Bai being out of the den so much now, the same thing is happening in D.C. with the cub there. Some days Mother Mei is with the cub only a total of an hour or so. So, this must be natural. D.C.’s cub, Tai, is doing fine and still growing. Actually, he gets to move around a lot more and explore more when mom is gone. She makes him stay put when she’s in the den.
October 20th, 2005 at 9:49 am
I think #27, victoria cai, offered very insightful comments on the names. I agree with her completely. Jiao Mei is definitely the best choice.
October 20th, 2005 at 9:50 am
i just want to thank the Panda Team for sharing those wonderful Pandas with us. I have been a faithful daily viewer since Hua Mei first made her appearance on the small screen. I check in every morning to see if there is a new blog on Baby Girl.
I have posted the Panda Cam site as a favorite for many of my co-workers in three states now- Louisiana when we were watching Hua Mei, Washington for Mei Sheng, and now Oregon for Baby Girl. I am so very jealous of the time you all get to spend holding her, or just getting paid to watch her.
October 20th, 2005 at 9:52 am
I’m sure you are all laughing at us worrywart armchair-zookeepers, but is the baby okay? Why has Mom been gone for such long periods of time for the last couple of days? Isn’t the baby hungry?
October 20th, 2005 at 10:01 am
To those of you who have expressed concern about the cub’s being hungry or alone, I wouldn’t worry…for the following reasons: The Panda teams monitor EVERYTHING concerning these cubs, including feeding frequency, the content of the mothers’ milk (They collect samples), and the overall condition of both mother and cub. And if the cub was uncomfortable or hungry she would definitely say so by screaming her head off just like a human baby.
As committed as they are to ensuring that these cubs are raised as naturally as possible, the teams would not hesitate to intervene if the health of either cub was in danger. Just as the Wolong keepers supplement the feedings of twin cubs, our Panda teams could, if necessary, supply supplemental feeding to these babies. They are the experts. We are just privileged to be invited along for the wonderful ride.
October 20th, 2005 at 10:12 am
I have noticed the baby panda seems to be left alone more often and for longer periods. Is this mom behavior in keeping with what you would expect? Thanks for all the information and feedback you provide. I enjoy watching the panda cams throughout the day.
October 20th, 2005 at 11:19 am
Glad to be of some help.
Now, Bai Yun is a really good name for a panda… 
October 20th, 2005 at 12:12 pm
I definitely agree with many of the above comments about names. I don’t pretend to be an expert, just a Chinese-American girl who grew up in San Diego. As a child I always remember hearing my mother refering to my baby brother as ” bao bei.” It’s also how my relatives referred to the stuffed animals many of the grandkids toted around. It’s not a name as much as an expression of something dear, kind of like saying ” pumpkin” or ” princess.” It’s not a real name (sorry if I offend people with pets of those names). Also, it is very much a tradition in familes to give all the children names with one syllable in common. I see this with many of my relatives and Asian friends’ families. I don’t know a lot about proper Chinese naming rules, but I sincerely hope ” Jiao Mei” is near the top. Because it is a lovely girl’s name and the ” Mei” is a great way to tie our San Diego panda family together.
October 20th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
I just looked at Baby Girl’s picture from her latest exam. Her nose is starting to get black, like the older pandas. I was wondering when that would happen because it has been such a light color until now. Amazing how fast they change? I can’t wait to see her in person and also, all those babies in China in April. It’ll be fun to meet those of you who said you’re going, too!
October 20th, 2005 at 2:09 pm
I find myself addicted to watching the panda cam! Thank you so much for letting the public in on this. I never knew it existed before. A couple of questions I do have. How come Bai Yun spends more and more time away from baby, and is it normal for baby pandas to sleep as much as they do. Also when the doors close on the den, does that mean the keepers are working with Bai Yun? Thank You!! Elaine,- Marina Del Rey, Ca.
October 20th, 2005 at 4:40 pm
Jiao Mei is my favorite name for the little girl. Jiao because my name starts with a ” J” too so I would have something in common with her and Mei because that is part of her brother and sister’s names also. I also like the meaning of her name – sweet and charming. I think that describes her well.
October 21st, 2005 at 1:41 am
My friend (WI) and I (San Diego) were watching Baby and Bai Yun for about 3 hours last night/this morning and wondered why Mom was away from Baby for at least 2 hours or so! Barbie and I are also addicted…and it’s wonderful to share such sweetness with a friend. Thank you VERY much for the Panda Cam! Gentle as you go, Marny
October 21st, 2005 at 6:52 am
To watch the news on TV, the whole world seems to be miserable and in disagreement; then I come here and people from all corners of the globe are totally besotted with these little bears and their families; everyone worries together (should they be walking? are they feeding enough? should mom be leaving them?) and shares mutual joy in their progress (yippee! Tai can take some wobbly steps and Baby Girl is squirming vigorously like she wants to get moving).
Two little cubs can unite the world in a way politicians can’t even dream of – they deserve to enjoy long and charmed lives. Bless ‘em both!
October 21st, 2005 at 8:39 am
Well said Amanda (#43). I couldn’t agree more. News of the world is so depressing and then you enter this (or the DC) panda world and all is wonderful!
October 21st, 2005 at 10:08 am
Jiao Mei would be my choice for the cub’s name. It carries on the names of her siblings and sounds good, both in Mandarin and English.
October 26th, 2005 at 8:58 am
can you give us an idea as to what name is running in the lead? a percentage would be excellent but suppose you are all too busy making sure pandas are getting all they need keep up the good work
October 27th, 2005 at 2:29 pm
When will the baby be named? Also, do you name the pandas after a few months so that you know their personalities?