Pronouncing Surnames of Chinese Celebs

The pronunciation of some Chinese character changes when they are used as a surname.

Usually, many Chinese learners ignore this, which ultimately leads to misunderstanding.

Here are some examples of famous Chinese people' s names. Try learning them by heart so as to avoid making mistakes in daily life.
 

那英 nā yīng

中国女歌手。她是大陆公认最杰出女歌手之一，其唱片销量超过上千万部。2012~2014年担任《中国好声音》导师。
NaYing is a Chinese vocalist. She is considered one of the best present-day female singers on the Chinese mainland, having sold more than 10 million albums. She has served as coach on the popular talent show The Voice of China since 2012.

那nā  做姓氏 used as surname

那nà 
    eg. 那里 nà lǐ (there)   那个 nà gè (that thing)   那时 nà shí(that time)

撒贝宁  sǎ bèi níng

中央电视台著名节目主持人，主持风格幽默风趣，才华横溢。
Sa Beining is a famous Chinese host on CCTV. He is very talented and utilizes a humorous hosting style.

撒sǎ   做姓氏 used as surname

撒sā  
      eg. 撒手sā shǒu (let go)   撒谎sā huǎng  (lie)    撒野 sāyě  (be rude to sb)

任达华 rén dá huá

香港演员和电影制片人。他以模特身份出道，一身古铜色皮肤，健康且有气质。2010年获得第29届香港电影金像奖最佳男主角奖。
Ren Dahua is a Hong Kong actor and film producer who started his career as a model. His bronze skin adds to his manly persona. Aside from his achievements as a producer, he also won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2010.

任rén  用做姓氏used as surname

任rèn 
      eg. 信任 xìn rèn (trust)                  任务 rèn wù (assignment)

查良镛 zhā liáng yōng

笔名“金庸”,著名武侠小说作家。他是作品销量最高的中国作家。历年来金庸笔下的著作屡次改编为电视剧、电影等，对华人影视文化可谓重大。
Zha is a famous Kung-fu novel writer better known by his pen name Jin Yong. He is currently the best-selling Chinese author alive and his works have been adapted into films and television series time and time again, contributing greatly to Chinese film culture.

查zhā  做姓氏 used as surname

查chá  
      eg. 调查 diào chá  (investigate)       查字典 chá zì diǎn  (consult dictionary)

纪晓岚 jǐ xiǎo lán

清乾隆年间的著名学者，有许多关于他的趣闻轶事。曾撰写著作《四库全书》。
Ji xiaolan was an influential scholar of the Qing dynasty whose history has been recorded in a number of interesting stories about Ji. He was given the job of compiling the book Siku Quanshu as a result of his scholarly deeds.

纪 jǐ  用做姓氏 used as surname

纪 jì 
    eg. 纪念 jìn iàn (commemorate)   纪律 jì lǜ  (discipline)