Chinese word

改名

Pronunciation

Pinyingǎi míng

Meaning

  • verbchange one's name

Example

我想改名。wǒ xiǎng gǎi míng

I want to change my name.

Illustration for 改名 (change one's name)

More examples

结婚后，她选择改名。jié hūn hòu tā xuǎn zé gǎi míng

After getting married, she chose to change her name.

Core concept

An old name is replaced by a new label, changing how a person or thing is identified.

Common phrases

  • 结婚后改名jié hūn hòu gǎi míng

    change one's name after marriage

  • 法院批准改名fǎ yuàn pī zhǔn gǎi míng

    court approves a name change

  • 公司改名为新品牌gōng sī gǎi míng wèi xīn pǐn pái

    company changes its name to a new brand

Similar words

改称gǎi chēng: Replace the name or title used for a person, place, or thing.
改姓gǎi xìng: Change the family name that a person uses to another family name.
更名gēng míng: Officially replace a person's name as recorded on legal documents.

Definition in Chinese

把人或事物的名字换成新的称呼，既可以指口头改称，也可以指通过手续在证件上正式变更姓名。bǎ rén huò shì wù de míng zì huàn chéng xīn de chēng hū jì ké yǐ zhǐ kǒu tóu gǎi chēng yě ké yǐ zhǐ tōng guò shǒu xù zài zhèng jiàn shàng zhèng shì biàn gēng xìng míng

Word origin

改名 (gǎimíng, "change one's name") combines 改 (gǎi, "change") with 名 (míng, "name"), giving the word its basic sense of replacing an existing name.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this verb can describe either adopting a different name in speech or making an official change on documents, so context shows whether a legal procedure is involved.

Other meanings

  • renameverb

Related words

  • 改名登记gǎi míng dēng jìname-change registrationnoun
  • 改名许可gǎi míng xú kěname-change permitnoun

Word lists with this word