思源
Sī Yuán · tones 1-2
Meaning: thoughtful + origin/source
Character breakdown
Each character in 思源 on its own — radical, stroke count, and core meaning.
- 思sī
- Radical
- 心
- Strokes
- 9
- Meaning
- think, thought
- 源yuán
- Radical
- 氵
- Strokes
- 13
- Meaning
- source, origin
How it sounds
Tone pattern 1-2 (high-level + rising).
High-level then rising. Opens bright and lifts upward — energetic and optimistic sound.
Style: classical-poetic
Vocabulary from classical poetry (Tang, Song eras). Evokes a literary sensibility while remaining usable for modern children.
Pairing with a surname
2-character given name
Standard structure for modern Chinese names. Pairs naturally with most common single-character surnames (王, 李, 张, 陈, 刘) for a 3-character full name. Sharp sound profile carries presence — pair with surnames that don't compete for emphasis. Always read the full name aloud with your surname before finalizing to check for accidental homophones.