NAME DOSSIER / EDITORIAL EXAMPLE

欧阳乐 — Ōuyáng Lè

joy. The intended reading is lè here; the character has other readings, so confirm it aloud.

joywarmMandarin / simplified
WRITTEN NAME欧阳乐Ōuyáng LèCompound surname 欧阳 / given name 乐

What the name suggests

The intended reading is lè here; the character has other readings, so confirm it aloud. This single given-name character carries the main idea; its impression still changes beside the surname. It is not an assertion about the personality of someone who chooses the name.

The complete name is pronounced Ōuyáng Lè. Say the surname and given name in one breath, then ask a fluent Mandarin speaker how it sounds without prompting them with our gloss.

The characters, separately

欧阳
Family name · Ōuyáng

A two-character surname: keep both characters together when identifying the given name.

Read surname history →
乐
lè · joy; music

Polyphonic: can also be read yuè; name readings require confirmation.

Read character note →

Culture, evidence, and limits

Ouyang Xiu was a Song writer and official. His name is a clear historical example of the compound surname. This is context for the surname, not evidence about the user’s family. The given name above is a Plainname editorial combination; no classical poem, dynasty, lucky outcome, or individual ancestry is claimed for it.

A dictionary can support a character’s common sense. It cannot certify that the full combination sounds natural in every region or community. Try the complete name in the situation where you expect to use it.

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Sources & limits

Sources support the specific facts cited above. An editorial name interpretation is not an ancient quotation or proof of family ancestry.

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