Cai (surname)

Cài/Tsai
Romanisation
Other names
Anglicisation(s)Tsai
Derivative(s)Budianto, Cahya, Cahyo, Ceha, Cohara, Cuaca, Cuandi (Indonesian)
Cai
Chinese name
Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinCài
Gwoyeu RomatzyhTsay
Wade–GilesTs'ai4
Tongyong PinyinCài
Wu
RomanizationTsha [tsʰa]
Hakka
RomanizationTshai
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationChoi
JyutpingCoi3
Southern Min
Hokkien POJChhoà
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabetThái or Sái
Korean name
Hangul
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationChae
McCune–ReischauerCh'ae
Japanese name
Hiraganaさい
Transcriptions
RomanizationSai

Cài (Chinese: ) is a Chinese-language surname that derives from the name of the ancient Cai state. In 2019 it was the 38th most common surname in China,[1] but the 9th most common in Taiwan (as of 2018), where it is usually romanized as "Tsai" (based on Wade-Giles romanization of Standard Mandarin[2]), "Tsay", or "Chai" and the 8th most common in Singapore, where it is usually romanized as "Chua", which is based on its Teochew and Hokkien pronunciation. Koreans use Chinese-derived family names and in Korean, Cai is 채 in Hangul, "Chae" in Revised Romanization,[3] It is also a common name in Hong Kong where it is romanized as "Choy", "Choi" or "Tsoi". In Macau, it is spelled as "Choi". In Malaysia, it is romanized as "Choi" from the Cantonese pronunciation, and "Chua" or "Chuah" from the Hokkien or Teochew pronunciation. It is romanized in the Philippines as "Chua" or "Chuah", and in Thailand as "Chuo" (ฉั่ว).[citation needed] Moreover, it is also romanized in Cambodia as either "Chhay" or "Chhor" among people of full Chinese descent living in Cambodia and as “Tjhai”, "Tjoa" or "Chua" in Indonesia.

  1. ^ "新京报 – 好新闻,无止境".
  2. ^ "Common Chinese Names." 2007 ranking.
  3. ^ "Popular Chinese Surnames in Singapore." Archived February 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at Statistics Singapore. 2000 ranking based on romanized form of Chua.