(…that no one asked for but I made anyway. These are just based on my limited knowledge as a Mandarin Chinese speaker and some quick research, so please take them with a few grains of salt!)
(Playable) Character Names
- Beidou (北斗): 北 = “north”, 斗 = “dipper”; lit. “northern dipper”, aka the Big Dipper
- Chongyun (重云): 重 = “layered”, 云 = “cloud”; lit. “layered/dense clouds”
- Ganyu (甘雨): 甘 = “sweet”, 雨 = “rain”; lit. “sweet rain”
- Hu Tao (胡桃): treating 胡桃 as a single word, it means “walnut”; but the romanization of her name is separated into two parts because Hu is in fact her last name while Tao is her first name. most of the other characters’ last names aren’t specified
- Keqing (刻晴): 刻 = “moment” or “to carve”, 晴 = sunny; so we can interpret her name as meaning either “momentary sunlight” or something like “engraved sunlight”
- Ningguang (凝光): 凝 = “to concentrate”, 光 = “light”; lit. “concentration of light”
- Qiqi (七七): 七 = “seven”; many chinese nicknames (used among family members or close friends) have reduplication, so doubling the 七 makes her name sound a little more intimate/child-like in a way
- Xiangling (香菱): 香 = “fragrant”, 菱 = “water caltrop”; lit. “fragrant water caltrop”
- Xiao (魈): 魈 is a type of mountain-dwelling spirit in chinese folklore
- Xingqiu (行秋): 行 = “to go, to walk”; 秋 = “the fall season”; so we can interpret his name as “the progression of fall” or “journey through fall”
- Xinyan (辛焱): 辛 = “strong-flavored, spicy”, 焱 = “flame”; lit. “intense/spicy flame”
- Yanfei (烟绯): 烟 = “smoke”, 绯 = “crimson”; lit. “crimson smoke”
- Zhongli (钟离): ok this one is gonna be a little long so bear with me lol. unlike most of the other characters’ names, 钟离 is a last name – each individual character in it still has meanings on its own of course, but we should probably think of them as one unit instead of looking at the meaning of each character. in particular, 钟离 is an ancient compound chinese last name, meaning it contains more than one character, which is not very common among modern-day chinese last names. according to one account, 钟离 emerged during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC), and nowadays very few people still have this last name
Location Names (mostly literal translations)
There are too many so I didn’t gloss every character unless needed here.
- Liyue (璃月): “glassy/glazed moon”
- Bishui Plain (碧水原): “jade water plain”
- Qingce Village (轻策庄): there’re a few sensible interpretations for the character 策, but i will go with the meaning “the whipping on a horse”, so the name overall would mean something like “a village where the light whipping on horses can be heard”
- Wuwang Hill (无妄坡): “slope of prudence”
- Stone Gate (石门): same as english
- Dihua Marsh (荻花洲): “reed flower island”
- Sal Terrae (地中之盐): “salt in the earth”
- Wangshu Inn (望舒客栈): “inn for those seeking comfort”
- Minlin (珉林): “jade-like forest”
- Cuijue Slope (翠玦坡): 翠 is a jade-like green color, 玦 is a kind of jewelry made of jade, and 坡 means slope
- Jueyun Karst (绝云间): “space where clouds die out”
- Huaguang Stone Forest (华光林): “forest of magnificent light”
- Mt. Aocang (奥藏山): “mountain where mysteries hide”
- Mt. Hulao (琥牢山): “mountain where amber is locked away”
- Nantianmen (南天门): “southern sky gate”
- Qingyun Peak (庆云顶): “peak of exalted clouds”
- Tianqiu Valley (天遒谷): “sky-reaching valley”
- Qiongji Estuary (琼玑野): 琼 means fine jade; 玑 refers to one of the seven stars in the Big Dipper or alternatively, a pearl that’s not round; 野 means field
- Guili Plain (归离原): “plain of return and departure”; this is also constructed from the “gui” in Guizhong’s name and perhaps the “li” in Morax’s name (if he was also called Zhongli back then)
- Mingyun Village (明蕴镇): “light-bearing town”
- Yaoguang Shoal (瑶光滩): “shoal of fine jade light”
- Luhua Pool (渌华池): “pool of clear, magnificent water”
- Lisha (璃沙郊): “glassy sand outskirts”
- Dunyu Ruins (遁玉陵): “burial place of hidden jade”
- Lingju Pass (灵炬关): “pass of mystical torch”
- Qingxu Pool (青墟浦): “pool of cyan remnants”
- Sea of Clouds (云来海): “cloud-beckoning sea”
- Guyun Stone Forest (孤云阁): “lone cloud pavilion”
- Liyue Harbor (璃月港): “glassy moon harbor”
- Mt. Tianheng (天衡山): “sky-measuring mountain”
i hate malboros 