Wood

Yingying Zeng

ESLINTG 100

August 25, 2025

Wood

I was curious about the meaning of my name when I was a child. My mother told me that my name was given by my grandmother. In Chinese, the meaning of my given name is about green and growth, like a new birth of a plant that grows up from the soil, fresh and green. I was confused about my name before because I thought my name would be more beautiful or meaningful. Sometimes I feel like my name is not great or strong enough. I love the people's names that have a strong attached meaning. Therefore, I asked my mother why my grandmother picked this name for me.

My mother told me that my life lacked wood, one of the five elements, which is one of the traditional Chinese theories. Many Chinese people have a strong connection to traditional thoughts. There are five elements in the world: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each element is important for everyone, and no one can live without it. My grandmother found someone to predict my destiny and was told that my life lacked wood. Therefore, she picked two Chinese words that are related to wood for my name. Both words mean growing plants in Chinese. I also hope that I can grow up well, just like the name given by my family.