My Chinese coworkers gave me a nickname on Day 3. It stuck for 2 years.
My friend from Argentina started working at a tech company in Shenzhen. Tall. Curly hair. Speaks decent Chinese.On Day 3, a colleague called him "大卷" (Dà Juǎn). Big Curl.
Within a week, everyone in the office called him 大卷. His boss. The cleaning lady. The security guard. Even clients.
He tried to correct them: "My name is Diego."
They smiled and said: "Okay, 大卷."
How Chinese nicknames work:
In China, nicknames are a sign of affection and acceptance. If your colleagues give you a nickname, it means you're in. You're part of the group.
Common nickname types:
1. Physical特征 (Appearance-based)
• 大卷 (Dà Juǎn) — Big Curl
• 小胖 (Xiǎo Pàng) — Little Chubby
• 高个 (Gāo Ge) — Tall Guy
• 老外 (Lǎo Wài) — Foreigner (the default if they can't think of anything else)
2. Name-based
• If your name is David → 大卫 (Dà Wèi) → 大伟
• If your name is Mike → 麦克 (Mài Kè) → 小麦
• If your name is Anna → 安娜 (Ān Nà) → 娜娜
3. Job-based
• 老板 (Lǎo Bǎn) — Boss
• 老师 (Lǎo Shī) — Teacher
• 翻译 (Fān Yì) — Translator
4. The "小" prefix
Adding 小 (xiǎo, little) before a name is affectionate:
• 小李 (Xiǎo Lǐ) — Little Li
• 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng) — Little Wang
• 小卷 (Xiǎo Juǎn) — Little Curl
The cultural rules:
Don't give yourself a nickname. It's awkward. Let them name you.
Don't be offended. "Little Chubby" or "Big Nose" isn't meant as an insult. It's endearing.
The "老" prefix: 老 (lǎo, old) is actually respectful. 老张 (Lǎo Zhāng) means "Old Zhang" — someone experienced and reliable.
The "阿" prefix: 阿 (ā) is Southern Chinese style. 阿明 (Ā Míng) is friendly and casual.
Foreigner-specific nicknames:
• 老外 (Lǎo Wài) — Foreigner. Neutral. Not offensive, not affectionate. Just factual.
• 外国朋友 (Wài Guó Péng You) — Foreign friend. Polite.
• 大鼻子 (Dà Bí Zi) — Big Nose. Common for Westerners. Don't be offended.
• 蓝眼睛 (Lán Yǎn Jing) — Blue Eyes. For obvious reasons.
How to respond:
• Accept it. Use it. Sign your WeChat messages with it.
• If you REALLY hate it, politely ask for a different one. But they might just give you a worse one.
• Give them nicknames back. They'll love it.
My Argentine friend's take: "I spent 2 years trying to get people to call me Diego. They called me 大卷 instead. At first I was annoyed. Then I realized: nobody calls the new guy by a nickname. They called me 大卷 because I was family. Now I introduce myself as 大卷."
Anyone else get a Chinese nickname? What is it and how did you get it?
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