<p>Zhi Da (Zhì dà) 志大 = great ambition/ ambition is great</p>
<p>Meanwhile, 大志 is a common noun for 'great ambition'. We often say, someone 有大志 (have big ambition) or 沒大志 (don't have big ambition)</p>
<p>志大 sounds like a first name. You can add any common Chinese family name to make up the character's full name, for example, &quot;吳志大&quot;. The character '吳' sounds exactly the same as '吾'(I). So, &quot;吳志大&quot; would sound like 'My ambition is great' in Chinese</p>
<p>Other common names that have a similar meaning not mentioned in other answers:</p>
<p>志豪 - Zhihao (heroic ambition)</p>
<p>志強 - Zhiqiang  (strong will/ ambition)</p>
<p><em>志豪 and 志強 in Chinese are as common as 'John' and 'Michael' in English</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T02:19:16.077Z
Thank you! This is exactly the feedback I was looking for. When writing the name in English, is it better to include the accents to specify? I hope to include the Chinese characters in the text as well for accurate reference.
Luke C.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T02:23:08.923Z
@LukeC.  /zhì dà / is the pinyin of 志大 in Mandarin, not an accent. You only need to write 'Zhi Da'  for '志大'; 'Wu' for  '吳' . And Chinese put family name before the first name, so "吳志大"  in English would ne "Wu Zhi Da"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T02:23:55.757Z
Thank you again!
Luke C.
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2020-08-12T02:32:21.790Z
@LukeC.  One drawback for the name 志大 is, there is a common Chinese expression '志大才疏' (have great ambition but lack talent). I wouldn't be surprised if someone named 志大 be nicknamed '才疏' (lack talent)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T02:33:07.190Z
That's funny! Thanks for the heads up.
Luke C.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T17:43:18.807Z
Sorry, I  just found it amusing. If a man's family name is 吴, he will avoid using any first name that sounds like a noun, because 吴 sounds like 无 which means "not having". If the man's name is 吴大志 that sounds like 无大志 which is short for 胸无大志 (no ambition inside at all). That is why 吴志大 is better than 吴大志, because 志大 is not a noun.
River
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2020-08-12T17:46:55.257Z
You don't have to pick the last name 吴, there are thousands of Chinese family names
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T17:52:11.497Z
Some people will deliberately choose a name that means not having something because they believe the name is indicating the opposite fortune. In 水浒准, there is a person named 吴用 (not useful) turned out to be the smartest person and useful advisor of the leader. I have a friend named 吴钱 (no money) because his parents want him to be rich in the future. However, this is not very common. (Sorry to be off-topic. I just found it interesting so I want to share with you guys)
River
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T04:32:40.900Z
2020-08-12T08:13:44.380Z
2020-08-12T08:13:44.380Z
Tang Ho
<p>You can directly use 成功 which is highly acceptable as a name and fulfills your requirement.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-13T03:25:38.627Z
2020-08-13T03:25:38.627Z
Aria Ax
<p>the character <a href="http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%BF%97" rel="nofollow noreferrer">志 (u+5fd7)</a> roughly means &quot;purpose, will, determination, aspiration, ideal; ambition; scope; record; annal; mark, sign&quot;, and it's a common name, maybe too common.</p>
<p>my first suggestion is : &quot;鴻鵠&quot;</p>
<p>that most people would understand the pun --&gt; 志 ( from the idiom &quot;燕雀安知鴻鵠志&quot;)</p>
<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000156030" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000156030</a></p>
<p>2nd &amp; 3rd are: &quot;鴻志&quot; or &quot;宏志&quot;, in which &quot;鴻&quot; or &quot;宏&quot; means &quot;great, grand&quot;</p>
<p>about the romanisation of these names, what's the background of the character? you may choose between cantonese, hokkien, or mandarin scheme.</p>
<p>edited, in lieu of long comment.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>to be from Guangzhou/the Guandong province</p>
</blockquote>
<p>depends on his age, roughly, born before 1949, wade-giles style. aft-1949, mandarin pinyin.</p>
<p>or, born in hong kong or macau, nurtured in canton; born in canton, but stowaway to h.k. macau, then, name in hong kong cantonese, or macau cantonese (slightly different romanisation)</p>
<p>some more options:</p>
<ul>
<li>“志偉” extremely common</li>
<li>“志黨” (communist party), “志東” (mao tse tung), “志紅 (red)</li>
</ul>
<p>they three reflected the influences of the 1950s-1970s, in red china.</p>

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2020-08-11T07:29:53.937Z
"宏志" is a sensitive name. Better not suggest it.
dan
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2020-08-11T07:36:23.317Z
@dan, i can't get it, why?
水巷孑蠻
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2020-08-12T02:21:02.090Z
Thank you for this feedback! I originally wrote him to be from Guangzhou/the Guandong province, but that may not be necessary to expose in the story and may not be relevant to the plot. I believe this would suggest Cantonese?
Luke C.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T04:54:16.787Z
@dan are you talking about FLG?
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T11:54:45.717Z
but “宏” **is not** “洪”, or the taboo is so wide that any “hong” is sensitive?
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T12:13:58.823Z
@luke c, no. depends on his age, reread my answer 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T07:12:14.750Z
2020-08-12T12:12:45.247Z
2020-08-12T12:12:45.247Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>I'm an American writing a novel in English and I have a Chinese character I want to give a real Chinese name. I'd like his name to mean something along the lines of &quot;will,&quot; &quot;purpose,&quot; &quot;ambition,&quot; intelligence,&quot; or &quot;achievement.&quot; I've found the names &quot;Da&quot; and &quot;Zhi,&quot; which I like (maybe together--Da Zhi?), but I want to make sure that it's a real name and that the meanings are appropriate and accurate.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T04:20:53.567Z
Some people has 志远 for their name，which stands for 志向远大(having a long/big ambition).
dan
<meaning><names>
What would be a proper Chinese name for someone meaning "achieving purpose/ambition?"
# What would be a proper Chinese name for someone meaning "achieving purpose/ambition?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-11)

I'm an American writing a novel in English and I have a Chinese character I want to give a real Chinese name. I'd like his name to mean something along the lines of "will," "purpose," "ambition," intelligence," or "achievement." I've found the names "Da" and "Zhi," which I like (maybe together--Da Zhi?), but I want to make sure that it's a real name and that the meanings are appropriate and accurate.

**Tags:** meaning, names

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Some people has 志远 for their name，which stands for 志向远大(having a long/big ambition).  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-11. Score: 1

Zhi Da (Zhì dà) 志大 = great ambition/ ambition is great

Meanwhile, 大志 is a common noun for 'great ambition'. We often say, someone 有大志 (have big ambition) or 沒大志 (don't have big ambition)

志大 sounds like a first name. You can add any common Chinese family name to make up the character's full name, for example, "吳志大". The character '吳' sounds exactly the same as '吾'(I). So, "吳志大" would sound like 'My ambition is great' in Chinese

Other common names that have a similar meaning not mentioned in other answers:

志豪 - Zhihao (heroic ambition)

志強 - Zhiqiang (strong will/ ambition)

*志豪 and 志強 in Chinese are as common as 'John' and 'Michael' in English*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you! This is exactly the feedback I was looking for. When writing the name in English, is it better to include the accents to specify? I hope to include the Chinese characters in the text as well for accurate reference.  
> **username_2**: @LukeC.  /zhì dà / is the pinyin of 志大 in Mandarin, not an accent. You only need to write 'Zhi Da'  for '志大'; 'Wu' for  '吳' . And Chinese put family name before the first name, so "吳志大"  in English would ne "Wu Zhi Da"  
> **username_0**: Thank you again!  
> **username_2**: @LukeC.  One drawback for the name 志大 is, there is a common Chinese expression '志大才疏' (have great ambition but lack talent). I wouldn't be surprised if someone named 志大 be nicknamed '才疏' (lack talent)  
> **username_0**: That's funny! Thanks for the heads up.  
> **username_3**: Sorry, I  just found it amusing. If a man's family name is 吴, he will avoid using any first name that sounds like a noun, because 吴 sounds like 无 which means "not having". If the man's name is 吴大志 that sounds like 无大志 which is short for 胸无大志 (no ambition inside at all). That is why 吴志大 is better than 吴大志, because 志大 is not a noun.  
> **username_2**: You don't have to pick the last name 吴, there are thousands of Chinese family names  
> **username_3**: Some people will deliberately choose a name that means not having something because they believe the name is indicating the opposite fortune. In 水浒准, there is a person named 吴用 (not useful) turned out to be the smartest person and useful advisor of the leader. I have a friend named 吴钱 (no money) because his parents want him to be rich in the future. However, this is not very common. (Sorry to be off-topic. I just found it interesting so I want to share with you guys)  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-13. Score: 0

You can directly use 成功 which is highly acceptable as a name and fulfills your requirement.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-11. Score: 0

the character [志 (u+5fd7)](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%BF%97) roughly means "purpose, will, determination, aspiration, ideal; ambition; scope; record; annal; mark, sign", and it's a common name, maybe too common.

my first suggestion is : "鴻鵠"

that most people would understand the pun --> 志 ( from the idiom "燕雀安知鴻鵠志")

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000156030>

2nd & 3rd are: "鴻志" or "宏志", in which "鴻" or "宏" means "great, grand"

about the romanisation of these names, what's the background of the character? you may choose between cantonese, hokkien, or mandarin scheme.

edited, in lieu of long comment.

> to be from Guangzhou/the Guandong province

depends on his age, roughly, born before 1949, wade-giles style. aft-1949, mandarin pinyin.

or, born in hong kong or macau, nurtured in canton; born in canton, but stowaway to h.k. macau, then, name in hong kong cantonese, or macau cantonese (slightly different romanisation)

some more options:

* “志偉” extremely common
* “志黨” (communist party), “志東” (mao tse tung), “志紅 (red)

they three reflected the influences of the 1950s-1970s, in red china.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "宏志" is a sensitive name. Better not suggest it.  
> **username_5**: @username_1, i can't get it, why?  
> **username_0**: Thank you for this feedback! I originally wrote him to be from Guangzhou/the Guandong province, but that may not be necessary to expose in the story and may not be relevant to the plot. I believe this would suggest Cantonese?  
> **username_6**: @username_1 are you talking about FLG?  
> **username_5**: but “宏” **is not** “洪”, or the taboo is so wide that any “hong” is sensitive?  
> **username_5**: @username_0, no. depends on his age, reread my answer   

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