Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan wished the world a happy Lunar New Year on Saturday while speaking in Mandarin. Also they made a very special announcement. In a video posted on Saturday, the couple announced the Chinese name for their daughter Max: Chen Mingyu.
Facebook CEO’s daughter gets a Chinese name
In the video, Zuckerberg and Chan are wishing a Happy Lunar New Year in Mandarin with English subtitles. Zuckerberg is details how the social networking giant is celebrating the holiday, which falls on Feb. 8. Several chefs from China came to prepare food. The family had a reunion as well, where Max was dressed in vibrant red and got some closeup time and let out a cute yawn later.
“Chen, after her mother’s family name, and Mingyu represents our hope for a brighter tomorrow for the world,” Zuckerberg said.
Chinese names are often loaded with symbolism. Before selecting a name for their child, Chinese parents put a lot of thought into how a particular name will help shape the life of the child.
Max was born late last year and when announcing her birth, Zuckerberg and Chan said they would donate 99% of their Facebook shares over their lifetime to make the world better through improved education, medicine and Internet access. That vision is reflected in the Chinese name of their daughter, which is a combination of the word “ming,” meaning “bright,” and “yu,” meaning “universe.” Maxima, or Max, her English name, was chosen for members of Zuckerberg’s family.
Facebook CEO and his Mandarin skills
At the end of the video, Zuckerberg asks Max, “You think my Chinese is bad?”
Several years ago, Zuckerberg pledged to learn Mandarin, and the video made over the weekend is another example of his language skills. In 2015, he posted a video in which he is seen offering good wishes in Mandarin on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. In October, Zuckerberg visited Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he gave a 20-minute speech in Mandarin about Facebook’s mission.
Facebook’s CEO previously gave three reasons for learning Chinese. First, his wife is Chinese. Second, he likes the Chinese culture, and the last reason he gave for learning Chinese was that he liked challenges.
