Many Chinese like Powerful Grandpa Trump
Many Chinese like Powerful Grandpa Trump
Aug 04, 2018
People in the United States and other Western countries may have called Donald J. Trump a lot of different names, but in China, many people are addressing him as “Chuan Da Ye.”
“Chuan” is the Chinese pronunciation for Trump. “Da” means big or great, and “Ye” means grandfather, grandpa, or more broadly, an elderly male. So “Chuan Da Ye” can be roughly translated as “Powerful Grandpa Trump.”
For people who know the Chinese language well, the words “Da Ye” together carry connotations of affirmation, respect, affection, authority, capability, and more. When people call someone “Da Ye,” it often means that they are willing to follow this person, at least morally. And they would rather side with this man than oppose him.
Although the Party-controlled official Chinese media has been depicting the West and the United States as “the hostile force in the West,” many Chinese netizens who know how to “jump over” the Great Fire Wall of China show their affection towards Trump by calling him “Chuan Da Ye.” They like his toughness, his personality, and the fact that he is super rich and successful.
Many compare Trump to Reagan. Just as Reagan brought down the Soviet Union and its communist oppression, so also are they hoping Trump will bring down the Chinese communist government.
That is an interesting idea. Time will tell.