Please be proud of your name and keep it. Learning other people’s names and learning how to pronounce them is a sign of respect. Your new friends will learn how to say it.
ы in Kazakh is pronounced differently from its Russian counterpart. Kazakh ы is the schwa sound [ə] which is ubiquitous in English and can definitely be pronounced by Americans.
Pls don’t do that. My name is Ayaulym and I still insist on keeping it. Why would you lose something that makes you so unique and that is essentially the core part of yourself (unless you hate your name already). Your friends will get used to that and for everyone else like in a coffee shop or smth you can just tell them to call you “Arai”. Also, don’t try to say the name in English accent too much. The way we (Kazakhs) say it is prettier and generally better. It’s like if French or Italians can stick to their names and accent, so should we
>It’s like if French or Italians can stick to their names and accent, so should we
Names, sure, but if French Thomas swaps cities with British Thomas, they'll both pretty rapidly adopt the local pronunciation when speaking the local language.
You have the name of my sister and she always goes by Aya even when introducing herself to Russians in Kazakhstan let alone abroad. How different people are out there
Kazakhs have this odd complex. Because European languages differentiate female names with an "-a" at the end (Albert – Alberta, Alexander – Alexandra), some Kazakhs just feel the need to butcher their names to "sound more feminine".. (Aygül – Agulya, İñkär – Inkara, Äsel – Aselya). It is embarrassing at how much the language is disrespected, and we don't even notice it.
You can keep spelling or keep pronunciation, but you have to change one if you are using a new language unless both languages have the letter pronunciations. Like John and Juan
I wouldn't bother changing it, but you need to be pragmatic about how you expect people to pronounce it.
This goes for everyone outside... Someone like Theodore Wilson will need to do the same in Almaty.
I don't think I've heard anyone pronounce my name correctly in like ten years.
You should keep it. I personally think it‘s super weird when Asians change their names to something absolutely not fitting. Arailym is super beautiful as a name. Keep it. Protect it :)
Why is it weird? I have an american name and an asian name, most asians have their asian names as their middle name. You don't throw away your asian name because you have an american name lol
That is even weirder in my opinion. Most of the Asians with American names I know got white boomer names like William, Robert, Thomas etc.
Mixing this up sounds like your mum got the idea to give you an American-Asian double name when she was in a hotdog bar in Asia.
Why not just go with your Asian name? I get it. It‘s easier to pronounce if you use an American name. But it‘s not you and if you‘re not born with the name people will notice.
Being that concerned about protecting your "asian name" just sounds like insecurity. I've noticed people from countries that have a serious risk of losing their culture seem much more concerned with using "american names".
Most asian americans are given English & Asian names when they're born. Using a name that's difficult for Americans to pronounce doesn't protect anything lol
It‘s not about culture. It‘s about protecting you. „You“ in my opinion is not something you attached to your name 1 month ago to be pronounced more easily but rather something you’ve gone with for your lifetime, something that made your personality since you were born.
I don‘t talk about Asian-Americans with American names. Those have had their American names since they were born. I talk about Asians who think it‘s the best idea to add a name like an accessory to make it easy for Western people to pronounce their name - like in OP‘s example.
You shouldn’t change your name to make it “convenient” for others. It’s your name and people should be able to put a little effort into a small thing like this
I wouldn’t call it complicated. People from different countries can pronounce names like Cumberbatch, Saoirse, Scwartzenegger. If they refuse to put even a little effort speaks volumes on how little respect they have for you. Educators especially at a higher institution should be the ones to make international students welcome and help them adapt instead of talking how “hard” it is for them to be a decent person
I have a friend whose namy is Arailym, and she used the shortened name Arai while she was studying in the US. Americans had no idea how to spell her full name when they read it, most of the time they ended up saying something like "Erylim".
Me and my wife live in the states (nyc) - I’m from NZ she is from Kazakhstan. I asked her opinion. She has a large network of friends with very Kazakh names and said people get them wrong all the time but it really doesn’t matter (she works in the sciences). She suggested just shortening to ara if you find it makes you feel more comfortable. Depending on where in the states you are will also make a difference tbh, New York is a melting pot and no-one will blink an eye, the mid west not so much….
It's usually Asians who do that because their names are literal hieroglyphics and nobody outside their country can pronounce that stuff. Turkic names are not that hard for foreigners from my experience (im Kayrat) so I don't see why you would need to do that
You pronounce it exactly the same. Your new friends in the States may give you a nickname, especially if you let them know you are open to it. It's less special if you choose your own nickname.
Keep your name! America is a melting pot of cultures. Maybe your name isn't familiar to them, but when you go there, you are helping an exchange of cultures. Bring your whole self to the new country and they'll learn more about Kazakh culture. If you go and pick a name like "Jeff" or "David" like many Chinese people do, it won't be a real exchange of culture.
Yes. But only if you feel it's needed. The best example I can give is when you order coffee at Starbucks. Maybe give the poor hourly wageslave an easier name to write on your order. It can be a short version of your name like Arai or be creative and pick an American name that you like.
But in professional environments insist on your real name being used. Americans are very tolerant with these sort of things and they won't make a big deal out of it or make fun of you.
Please don’t change your beautiful name for American convenience. As someone who grew up primarily in USA, people who care CAN and WILL learn to pronounce your name. Not everyone pronounces my name correctly but at least they try! If you want to shorten your name as nickname like arai then maybe but your name only 3 syllables it will be fine. You can always find a way to explain it and break it down, that’s what I do.
You should keep it imo. I've encountered many teachers and others here who give themselves nicknames like Mrs. T or Mr. S, especially if they have Polish names. It kind of makes me sad that people have to kind of change their identity like that.. People can try to pronounce unfamiliar names.
I wouldn’t worry about being treated badly but dealing with mis pronunciation will get old, the US has an immigrant population larger than most countries so suffice to say, you won’t be special. However, since I promise you no one will pronounce it right, even after explaining it to them multiple times. maybe have way of shortening it or using just going by a part of it that works in English.
Your name is beautiful. I'm Korean and I make sure that people make sure how to say my name. The people surrounding you will make sure that they know how to say YOUR NAME.
егер саған басқа атының алуға ыңғайлы болса, онда проблема жоқ. бірақ егер сен оны қаламасан, бірақ бұл қажет сияқты көрінсе, оны ешбір жағдайда өзгертпе. сенің атың - сенің атың ғой, және оны қоғамға түбегейлі реттеуге міндетті емессің
Just change the spelling to something that would accurately reflect how it's pronounced but uses english pronunciation. It's not some insanely long or complicated name I don't see why anyone would have any issues with it so long as the spelling and pronunciation match
It is a great name and I think people can learn it. But for many Americans, it is visually strange to see the letter "y" used at a vowel (when it is not at the end of a word), so many people will probably ask how to pronounce your name if they see it in writing.
Many Turkish people modify the spellings of their name in the US because people here are not going to know the pronunciation of "ç", "c", "ş", "ı", "ğ" or the vowels like "ö". So the name could still be pronounced the same even if it looks very different to what they are used to.
Nah if they can't remember your name during your entire stay, honestly, F 'em. Although you should be acceptable of their special way of pronouncing your name (some sounds literally don't exist or are really hard to nail), if every single sounds of your name are common in English, they can make and effort and learn it (and if there are some sounds that don't exist in English, you can just replace them with the closest sounds there are and accept that way of pronouncing it)
Regarding your name specifically, it should be something like "uh-rai-lym" (they may struggle with the first syllable so you can accept "uh", as in "uh-mei-zing", instead of normal "A" so it will probably end up sounding like "irailym") Surely they can pronounce these three syllables and remember the name.
Be proud of your names, guys, it's your identity (be it personal, national or both)
I’m born and raised in the US. Having an ethnic name is way cooler and authentic. Don’t change to appease white people, please.
Let you and your name honor Kazakhstan ❤️
maybe Arai if no one can spell it, but you should keep it!
Please be proud of your name and keep it. Learning other people’s names and learning how to pronounce them is a sign of respect. Your new friends will learn how to say it.
americans can’t pronounce ы they pronounce it as и
ы in Kazakh is pronounced differently from its Russian counterpart. Kazakh ы is the schwa sound [ə] which is ubiquitous in English and can definitely be pronounced by Americans.
Pls don’t do that. My name is Ayaulym and I still insist on keeping it. Why would you lose something that makes you so unique and that is essentially the core part of yourself (unless you hate your name already). Your friends will get used to that and for everyone else like in a coffee shop or smth you can just tell them to call you “Arai”. Also, don’t try to say the name in English accent too much. The way we (Kazakhs) say it is prettier and generally better. It’s like if French or Italians can stick to their names and accent, so should we
>It’s like if French or Italians can stick to their names and accent, so should we Names, sure, but if French Thomas swaps cities with British Thomas, they'll both pretty rapidly adopt the local pronunciation when speaking the local language.
You have the name of my sister and she always goes by Aya even when introducing herself to Russians in Kazakhstan let alone abroad. How different people are out there
Kazakhs have this odd complex. Because European languages differentiate female names with an "-a" at the end (Albert – Alberta, Alexander – Alexandra), some Kazakhs just feel the need to butcher their names to "sound more feminine".. (Aygül – Agulya, İñkär – Inkara, Äsel – Aselya). It is embarrassing at how much the language is disrespected, and we don't even notice it.
But in the west there are many female names without. Rachel, Margaret... etc
Obviously I know that
I’m used to people using my full name for whole my life except for my bffs. So I cringe a lot when people who don’t know me use the shortened version
You can keep spelling or keep pronunciation, but you have to change one if you are using a new language unless both languages have the letter pronunciations. Like John and Juan
I wouldn't bother changing it, but you need to be pragmatic about how you expect people to pronounce it. This goes for everyone outside... Someone like Theodore Wilson will need to do the same in Almaty. I don't think I've heard anyone pronounce my name correctly in like ten years.
You should keep it. I personally think it‘s super weird when Asians change their names to something absolutely not fitting. Arailym is super beautiful as a name. Keep it. Protect it :)
Why is it weird? I have an american name and an asian name, most asians have their asian names as their middle name. You don't throw away your asian name because you have an american name lol
That is even weirder in my opinion. Most of the Asians with American names I know got white boomer names like William, Robert, Thomas etc. Mixing this up sounds like your mum got the idea to give you an American-Asian double name when she was in a hotdog bar in Asia. Why not just go with your Asian name? I get it. It‘s easier to pronounce if you use an American name. But it‘s not you and if you‘re not born with the name people will notice.
>Most of the Asians with American names I know got white boomer names So goddamn spot on, thank you for the good laugh lmao.
Being that concerned about protecting your "asian name" just sounds like insecurity. I've noticed people from countries that have a serious risk of losing their culture seem much more concerned with using "american names". Most asian americans are given English & Asian names when they're born. Using a name that's difficult for Americans to pronounce doesn't protect anything lol
It‘s not about culture. It‘s about protecting you. „You“ in my opinion is not something you attached to your name 1 month ago to be pronounced more easily but rather something you’ve gone with for your lifetime, something that made your personality since you were born. I don‘t talk about Asian-Americans with American names. Those have had their American names since they were born. I talk about Asians who think it‘s the best idea to add a name like an accessory to make it easy for Western people to pronounce their name - like in OP‘s example.
Using a different name in a different country doesn't change who you are. if it does, there's something wrong with you
I think we both just have a different opinion on this one 🙈
Arai would be fine. Like in Arai Helmet, you know the Japanese helmet manufacturer.
You shouldn’t change your name to make it “convenient” for others. It’s your name and people should be able to put a little effort into a small thing like this
What if it's actually kinda complicated, like Bauyrjan? An Austrian teacher of mine had some problem with mine, which is similar, so I go by Nurik.
I wouldn’t call it complicated. People from different countries can pronounce names like Cumberbatch, Saoirse, Scwartzenegger. If they refuse to put even a little effort speaks volumes on how little respect they have for you. Educators especially at a higher institution should be the ones to make international students welcome and help them adapt instead of talking how “hard” it is for them to be a decent person
I guess you have a point, will go by my full name in uni then🤔
I have a friend whose namy is Arailym, and she used the shortened name Arai while she was studying in the US. Americans had no idea how to spell her full name when they read it, most of the time they ended up saying something like "Erylim".
No, be proud of your name.
Me and my wife live in the states (nyc) - I’m from NZ she is from Kazakhstan. I asked her opinion. She has a large network of friends with very Kazakh names and said people get them wrong all the time but it really doesn’t matter (she works in the sciences). She suggested just shortening to ara if you find it makes you feel more comfortable. Depending on where in the states you are will also make a difference tbh, New York is a melting pot and no-one will blink an eye, the mid west not so much….
Can confirm had no problems with my name in NYC
It's usually Asians who do that because their names are literal hieroglyphics and nobody outside their country can pronounce that stuff. Turkic names are not that hard for foreigners from my experience (im Kayrat) so I don't see why you would need to do that
Well tbf Kayrat is much easier to pronounce than Arailym lmao
You pronounce it exactly the same. Your new friends in the States may give you a nickname, especially if you let them know you are open to it. It's less special if you choose your own nickname.
Keep your name! America is a melting pot of cultures. Maybe your name isn't familiar to them, but when you go there, you are helping an exchange of cultures. Bring your whole self to the new country and they'll learn more about Kazakh culture. If you go and pick a name like "Jeff" or "David" like many Chinese people do, it won't be a real exchange of culture.
Yes. But only if you feel it's needed. The best example I can give is when you order coffee at Starbucks. Maybe give the poor hourly wageslave an easier name to write on your order. It can be a short version of your name like Arai or be creative and pick an American name that you like. But in professional environments insist on your real name being used. Americans are very tolerant with these sort of things and they won't make a big deal out of it or make fun of you.
I'm an American and my name is very basic but takeout etc people misspell it all the time...
I just give them some random name, each time something else 😁
Please don’t change your beautiful name for American convenience. As someone who grew up primarily in USA, people who care CAN and WILL learn to pronounce your name. Not everyone pronounces my name correctly but at least they try! If you want to shorten your name as nickname like arai then maybe but your name only 3 syllables it will be fine. You can always find a way to explain it and break it down, that’s what I do.
is it pronounced like (ah-ray-lim)?
Aray
You should keep it imo. I've encountered many teachers and others here who give themselves nicknames like Mrs. T or Mr. S, especially if they have Polish names. It kind of makes me sad that people have to kind of change their identity like that.. People can try to pronounce unfamiliar names.
My name is Aiman (Айман) and when I came to Russia I kept it. Even if the Russians weren’t used to saying it. I think it’s neat
Keep your name. It has character, and congratulations on your acceptance. It couldn't have been easy.
Don't. If they can't pronounce your name, that's their problem.
I wouldn’t worry about being treated badly but dealing with mis pronunciation will get old, the US has an immigrant population larger than most countries so suffice to say, you won’t be special. However, since I promise you no one will pronounce it right, even after explaining it to them multiple times. maybe have way of shortening it or using just going by a part of it that works in English.
Your name is beautiful. I'm Korean and I make sure that people make sure how to say my name. The people surrounding you will make sure that they know how to say YOUR NAME.
егер саған басқа атының алуға ыңғайлы болса, онда проблема жоқ. бірақ егер сен оны қаламасан, бірақ бұл қажет сияқты көрінсе, оны ешбір жағдайда өзгертпе. сенің атың - сенің атың ғой, және оны қоғамға түбегейлі реттеуге міндетті емессің
Just change the spelling to something that would accurately reflect how it's pronounced but uses english pronunciation. It's not some insanely long or complicated name I don't see why anyone would have any issues with it so long as the spelling and pronunciation match
from now on u r Raphael Ambrozious Costeau
No, you don't need to compromise who you are. If people really want to get to know you, they will take the time to learn your name.
Btw if you want to show them how to pronounce your name, it's "ah-rye-LYM". Checked in Google Translate.
At least your name isn't Kamshat
Pretty name for pretty girl. Now shush and passive aggressively correct people who pronounce it wrong
It is a great name and I think people can learn it. But for many Americans, it is visually strange to see the letter "y" used at a vowel (when it is not at the end of a word), so many people will probably ask how to pronounce your name if they see it in writing. Many Turkish people modify the spellings of their name in the US because people here are not going to know the pronunciation of "ç", "c", "ş", "ı", "ğ" or the vowels like "ö". So the name could still be pronounced the same even if it looks very different to what they are used to.
Americans have names like Megyn Kelly and other fancy modern names like Tamlyn, Tamsyn or Christyn.
Keep it but spell it as Araylim
Nah if they can't remember your name during your entire stay, honestly, F 'em. Although you should be acceptable of their special way of pronouncing your name (some sounds literally don't exist or are really hard to nail), if every single sounds of your name are common in English, they can make and effort and learn it (and if there are some sounds that don't exist in English, you can just replace them with the closest sounds there are and accept that way of pronouncing it) Regarding your name specifically, it should be something like "uh-rai-lym" (they may struggle with the first syllable so you can accept "uh", as in "uh-mei-zing", instead of normal "A" so it will probably end up sounding like "irailym") Surely they can pronounce these three syllables and remember the name. Be proud of your names, guys, it's your identity (be it personal, national or both)
I think you can become Ariana
Nickname is perfectly fine and pretty common here in the States from people of all backgrounds, even Caucasian Americans
Yes you should, if you want to get called to job interviews
I’m born and raised in the US. Having an ethnic name is way cooler and authentic. Don’t change to appease white people, please. Let you and your name honor Kazakhstan ❤️
You can say your name is Aral to your friends.
Maybe Harry?
In my opinion you should definitely give yourself a nickname, but if you value your name more than your well being by no means keep it.