First Name in a Foreign Language

[Chris158]

We are enjoying an increase in visitors from China. While I have no difficluty employing Google to translate my House Manual and other messages into simplified Chinese I've been unable to translate individual guest names emailed in Chinese characters.

We have guests arriving next week and I'm anticipating some communciation difficulties.  Experienced Chinese travellers have in most cases, already decided on what their 'western' name is going to be. Not the case here.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions of how to translate personal names in a foreign language ,into their English equivalent, if in fact there is one?  

Chris M.

[Maria-Lurdes0]

Hi @Chris158  I have a lot of Chinese guests as well, and have the same issue.  I don't think the names are really translatable, or at least I haven't had luck.  I always ask in my first correspondence what name I can call them/how can I address them.   If I get nothing back, I end up using "dear guest".  Not a great answer, I'm afraid....

[Chris158]

Thanks Maria,

Kind of thought that might be the case. Just have to keep asking the question and fingers crossed.

Cheers

Chris M.

[Andrea9]

@Chris158

I've had many Chinese guests too, and since I usually have a short back- and forth conversation with them before the booking is finalized, even in those cases of where there's only a Chinese character I always get a name. Doing it with humor as in "Hi  - and so sorry, can't translate your name sign 😉 "

Most adopt an English name anyway to make it easier on all of us in the West.