List of Chinese Pokémon names

[Virtual-Z]

All of the divisions of Chinese seem really messed up here. I don't speak fluent Chinese, but I know quite a bit about the regionality of it all.

So there are three columns which have Chinese characters in them. Chinese (Simplified, CN), Chinese (Traditonal, TW/CN), and Chinese (HK).

To me, the only one that is correct is Chinese (Simplified, CN), but should be made more specific and changed to Mandarin Chinese (Simplified, CN).

Now for Chinese (Traditional, TW/CN). China uses simplified, so it should not be listed here. Rather, Hong Kong should make an appearance here. Hong Kong law states that it's official languages are English and Chinese, with no specifying of Mandarin or Cantonese. Both are used there. And when used, both are written with tradtional characters.

Chinese (HK) is pretty much okay, but it should be reworded to specify Cantonese.

Therefore, my proposed three new columns for Chinese characters are:

Cantonese Chinese (Traditional, HK)
Mandarin Chinese (Simplified, CN)
Mandarin Chinese (Traditional, HK/TW)


Also, I have some problems with the organization of the table on this page. It seems to be randomly scattered. I think that after each Chinese character column, the Latin alphabet spelling should be the next column.

Finally, the Chinese names pasted on Pokemon pages. Some have Chinese (Taiwan) and Chinese (Hong Kong). Which doesn't really make sense in the current state of this page. I, however, believe that all 3 should be posted on each Pokemon's article.

Comments?

 

[Virtual-Z]

Well, I never excepted many, if any replies...

Let me ask you this then. With the information I've provided, do you think it is all a good idea?

 

[Maxim Posthumus]

It is. Chinese Pokemon names are just too messed up...

With specifying Cantonese and Mandarin. I agree. This has to be reflected.

Do official Hong Kong (Cantonese) exist for all Sinnoh Pokemon? Didn't they stop at Hoenn?

Also, aren't most (if not all) Cantonese Pokemon names same as Mandarin (Hanzi-wise) since Johto?

And I think we shouldn't use PinYin and Wade-Giles for HK names, as those are Mandarin Romanization Schemes. I suggest Jyutping (without tones, as it uses those ugly numbers) or Yale (with tones).

The list has to be generally remade. I see tons of wrong romanizations and even fake names (Arceus).

I also think that Traditional Characters should be put first in the list, then Simplified. Taiwan really gets more Pokemon than PRC (for obvious reasons).

 

[Virtual-Z]

Do official Hong Kong (Cantonese) exist for all Sinnoh Pokemon? Didn't they stop at Hoenn?

Also, aren't most (if not all) Cantonese Pokemon names same as Mandarin (Hanzi-wise) since Johto?

I wouldn't know. I don't know anything about Chinese in relation to Pokemon, just about the language in general (though I can't speak/read much at all).

And I think we shouldn't use PinYin and Wade-Giles for HK names, as those are Mandarin Romanization Schemes. I suggest Jyutping (without tones, as it uses those ugly numbers) or Yale (with tones).

I agree with that. Had no idea.

I also think that Traditional Characters should be put first in the list, then Simplified. Taiwan really gets more Pokemon than PRC (for obvious reasons).

Agreed.



We're gonna have to get at least one more person to help out before we can get this going...

 

[Draconic]

Cantonese and Mandarin use the same characters. They are written the same way in literature, just read/pronounced differently. The main things are just Simplified and Traditional.

Granted I'm not exactly sure how it works in Pokemon, are the names different?

 

[Zhen Lin]

That's not quite true. Cantonese proper is written using additional characters not used in standard written Chinese, e.g. the sentence 係唔係佢哋嘅？Formal written Chinese in Hong Kong is the same as standard written Chinese (more or less), but that's because it's not Cantonese.

 

[metalKS]

I would like to say that traditional chinese(mandarin) is on the top of my list
At the same time, Taiwan has its own version of pokemon names translation....

 

[Virtual-Z]

I guess I'll bump this. If we decide the categories, and organize it, I believe I've found a site with users who could help us.

 

[Neltharion S. Deathwing]

什么？你在说什么？
pokemon的中文名字？
我不知道。

 

[TTEchidna]

QUE?

NO PUEDO ENTENDER.

We should organize something, though. Probably a chart... lemme see about rigging up a template for the interlanguage names of Pokémon.

 

[Virtual-Z]

Good, because the page is useless when unfinished and false.

 

[Neltharion S. Deathwing]

QUE?

NO PUEDO ENTENDER.

We should organize something, though. Probably a chart... lemme see about rigging up a template for the interlanguage names of Pokémon.

Perdon, yo vivo en China

 

[☆TobyTse99☆]

Well, I am a Hong Konger and I am totally dissapointed by the TV station...

TVB don't see Pokémon's potential and desided to buy it when the episodes are very out-dated. And currently, the Hong Kong dub of Pokémon is still at late-AG...

So, I want to point out that most of Hong Kong's Gen-IV names are fan names, except the few that made a cameo in the only movie that is aired this summer holiday (The Rise of Darkrai)(e.g. the Shinx, Luxio and Luxray family running by the camera)

 

[Maxim Posthumus]

Well, I am a Hong Konger and I am totally dissapointed by the TV station...

TVB don't see Pokémon's potential and desided to buy it when the episodes are very out-dated. And currently, the Hong Kong dub of Pokémon is still at late-AG...

So, I want to point out that most of Hong Kong's Gen-IV names are fan names, except the few that made a cameo in the only movie that is aired this summer holiday (The Rise of Darkrai)(e.g. the Shinx, Luxio and Luxray family running by the camera)

Oh! That's good info. Is there a Hong Kong Pokemon name list made ONLY of official names? I'd like to know the known Gen IV names.

Also, Gen III names look suspiciously the same as Taiwan/PRC names. Are those names real?

 

[JW93]

There is already a distinction for Pikachu.
The Cantonese name for Pikachu is: 比卡超 (Canto pingyam: bei-ga-chiu, Mandarin: bi-ka-chao)
The Mandarin name for him is: 比卡丘 (Canto Pingyam: bei-ga-zau, Mandarib: bi-ka-qiu)

-Cantonese and Mandarin have different names for Pikachu as each sounds different when saying it. One will sound closer when said Cantonese and other will sound closer when said in Mandarin.

 

[☆TobyTse99☆]

Oh! That's good info. Is there a Hong Kong Pokemon name list made ONLY of official names? I'd like to know the known Gen IV names.

Also, Gen III names look suspiciously the same as Taiwan/PRC names. Are those names real?

The Hong Kong people seem not interested in it. One of them said those name are from the mainland... but I believe those names are not official...

Gen III names look suspiciously the same as Taiwan/PRC names..? I guess this is because the mainland stopped dubbing Pokémon from AG onward. Proof: no mainland TV station here.

There is already a distinction for Pikachu.
The Cantonese name for Pikachu is: 比卡超 (Canto pingyam: bei-ga-chiu, Mandarin: bi-ka-chao)
The Mandarin name for him is: 比卡丘 (Canto Pingyam: bei-ga-zau, Mandarib: bi-ka-qiu)

-Cantonese and Mandarin have different names for Pikachu as each sounds different when saying it. One will sound closer when said Cantonese and other will sound closer when said in Mandarin.

I don't know how did you get that Pingyam thing and I believe that 卡 is "ka" in both Contonese and Mandarin. The Hong Kong name sounds closer to the Japanese sound in Cantonese than in Mandarin and vice-versa.

...and I started to get annoyed when the HK names in the xyz_(Pokémon) entry are followed by Mandarin Pinyin.

 

[aquaflute]

I come from mainland China. I was concerned about the pokemon names when I was younger, but when my English is good enough to play pokemon in English I just stopped caring. Partly is because of all the confusing translations from various regions.

I think if we are looking for a list of names for pokemon in Chinese, there is a very good Chinese pokemon site from mainland that has its own pokedex that should contain all the names you guys needed. At least all the pokemon names before generation IV is quite reliable there:

http://www.koudai8.com/pmdex/

Problem with Chinese translation is not just the names of pokemon, there are many problems with the names of the moves. For example the earlier translation of Hydro Pump in Chinese is literally water cannon. Now when the move Hydro Cannon is added all these translations need to change and caused quite a bit of confusion in the Chinese fans.

PS: Pikachu in mandarin Chinese is 皮卡丘 (pi-ka-qiu)

I will give an example on how I think the "In other languages" part should look like, this is squirtle:

Mandarin:傑尼龜(traditional)/杰尼龟（simplified) Jíe Ní Guī - An onomatopoeic reference to Squirtle's Japanese name, Zenigame. The last character in the name means turtle. (this part should only be seperated when the translation is different in Taiwan and Mainland. Although most of the time they are the same)
Cantonese:車厘龜 Chē Lí Guī - Possibly cherry turtle as 車厘子 "Chē Lí Zi" is cherry in Cantonese. (now I'm not entirely sure about that explanation, I thought the cantonese translation is also just trying to mimick the Japanese name, it's just easier to pronounce it that way, but I don't speak it very well so I am not sure)

IMO the traditional and simplified name should go together because they basically mean the same thing. The difference is in the complexity of the characters, but they carry the same meaning nonetheless.

 

[☆TobyTse99☆]

Cantonese:車厘龜 Chē Lí Guī - Possibly cherry turtle as 車厘子 "Chē Lí Zi" is cherry in Cantonese. (now I'm not entirely sure about that explanation, I thought the cantonese translation is also just trying to mimick the Japanese name, it's just easier to pronounce it that way, but I don't speak it very well so I am not sure)

I am from Hong Kong (yay!)(?) so I know that name.

車厘龜 ce1 lei2 gwai1 (I know 厘 is originally lei4, but that's how TVB (TV station) dub it. And these are cantonese phonetic symbols. Don't argue about that with me, I use a university's (CUHK) database.)

It's just a name similar to Zenigame. And the translator tried to make it more readable so he/she used 車厘, which is easier than "遮妮"(or anything accurate), along with 龜, turtle/tortoise.

The main point is I don't want the cantonese names to be marked with mandarin symbols... (complete out of topic lol)