1.7 Cultural Notes for Self Introductions
- Chinese names （姓and 名）
Unlike names in English and many other Romance languages, last names (姓) precede before first names （名）in Chinese names, and for the most part there are no middle names in Chinese names. A vast majority of Chinese last names consist of one character, like 李，王，周，张， 陈 ，however, there are some Chinese last names with two characters, such as 欧阳， 宇文，司徒 (欧阳: Ōuyáng 宇文: Yǔwén, 司徒: Sītú) and so on. Over 90% of Chinese first names are two characters such as 赵莉莉，陈志学while only a small percentage of Chinese first names are one character 李梅，周萌，张笛. One thing we need to pay attention is that when you address people with two-character first names, you can address them by “Last name + first name” or you can address them just by their first name in most of informal contexts. However, as far as people with one-character first name are concerned, you can only address them by “Last name + first name” unless you are romantically involved with them.
2. Short videos (短视频)
Chinese short video (短视频, duǎn shìpín) apps have become a dominant force in China’s social media landscape. They offer bite-sized entertainment and a platform for creative expression. The two leading platforms in China are Douyin (抖音, dǒuyīn) and Kuaishou (快手, kuàishǒu). Douyin, developed by ByteDance (字节跳动, zìjié tiàodòng), is the Chinese version of TikTok. It boasts over 748 million active users in China as of September 2024. Kuaishou, its main competitor, has a strong presence in rural areas and claims over 504 million monthly active users. 抖音 focuses on trendy, personalized content with a younger, urban user base primarily in first and second-tier cities. It emphasizes individualized recommendations and instant engagement. In contrast, 快手 targets a more diverse audience, including users from third and fourth-tier cities and rural areas. 快手’s content is more grounded in everyday life, with a stronger social and community aspect. The two apps differ in their recommendation strategies: 抖音 prioritizes short-term user attention and quick feedback, while 快手 emphasizes long-term user retention and deeper interactions. 抖音’s content is often more stylized with trendy music and effects, whereas 快手 focuses on authentic, relatable content. These differences reflect their distinct approaches to user engagement and content curation in the competitive Chinese short video market.
These two Chinese apps share similarities with their U.S. counterparts, like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. However, Chinese platforms have more advanced e-commerce integration, allowing users to make purchases directly within the app. They also tend to have higher user engagement, with Chinese users spending an average of over 60 minutes daily on short video apps. While TikTok dominates globally with 1.5 billion active users, Douyin and Kuaishou focus primarily on the Chinese market. These platforms have become integral to Chinese pop culture and are widely used for marketing, with 80% of China’s netizens using short video apps.
Chinese and U.S. short video apps prioritize personalized content delivery through AI-driven algorithms. However, Chinese platforms strongly emphasize live streaming and virtual gifting features, contributing significantly to their monetization strategies.
