3

The most common translation of '户口' seems to be 'household registration system'. The other meanings do not fit either:

https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E6%88%B7%E5%8F%A3

What is it a reference to?

雪花飘飘
  • 331
  • 2
  • 12
Burrough Clarke
  • 275
  • 2
  • 9

1 Answers1

6

The main character's name is 刘启

Break his first name 「启」 apart, and you'll get 「戶口」. That's how his nickname came about.

The character 启 contains the meaning of "enlighten". It has nothing to do with 戶口 (household).

It only works in simplified Chinese, The Traditional characters for 刘启 are 劉啟

Tang Ho
  • 78,643
  • 4
  • 28
  • 71
  • Nope. 启 is also a traditional character, even in Shuowen — and it's the original glyph for 啟. – Stan Jul 27 '20 at 04:20
  • The traditional Chinese subtitle in the movies stated the main character's name is 劉啟, not 劉启. In any case, 启 is treated as the simplified version of 啟 by Google, while Wiki stated 啟 as the 傳統字 of 启. I have never seen a modern name using 启 instead of 啟, It is very possible that even 启 was a traditional character, it had been replaced by 啟 and become archaic – Tang Ho Jul 27 '20 at 04:32
  • BTW, The second character in my first name is also kai (啟) : ) – Tang Ho Jul 27 '20 at 04:34
  • Google and Wiki are not authoritative sources when the discussion comes to identify Chinese traditional characters, but dictionaries like 康熙字典, 說文解字, etc. I agree 启 is somehow less used as a traditional character in modern days, but the conclusion "启 is a simplified character" could easily make experts frown on. Another similar case, 杰 and 傑, should be less controversial. – Stan Jul 27 '20 at 04:42
  • 1
    The simplification of 啟 to 启 might have rendered 启 obsolete and be forgotten in day to day usage, – Tang Ho Jul 27 '20 at 04:46
  • 1
    @Stan I wouldn’t say 启 is the original glyph for 啟, the original glyph in oracle bone is 戶又 stuck together with 启 being a variation. Still, the Simplified version is extremely old. – dROOOze Jul 27 '20 at 09:21
  • 1
    @dROOOze you're right. I oversimplified my point. Combinations 戶口，戶又，戶又口，戶又日，戶又口日 existed in oracle bone as variants to each other. – Stan Jul 28 '20 at 07:39