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I have always tried to pronounce names correctly, and I have a decent ear. However, with some languages, I apparently can't hear some distinctions; there have been times when I was certain I was mimicking the sounds correctly, but the person repeatedly corrected me. It's not (necessarily) that I can't make the sounds, it's that I can't hear the difference between what's right and what I'm saying. Chinese is one of those; I can't get the romanized X and Z right.
Like a Japanese person trying to differentiate between l and r.
You don't even have to go outside of English for examples. See: the pen/pin distinction in English: some speakers have it, some can hear it when I speak, and some can't.
Aye, it's curious how one's upbringing affects their hearing. The Americans I interacted with can't tell the Czech P and B apart. Which I find fucking weird as mixing them up in Czech results in absolute gibberish. Probably similar to how TH and F sound the same to me.
The X in romanized Chinese is particularly bad, because depending on what part of China, HK, or Taiwain (or other Chinese-speaking country) the person is from, they would pronounce it quite differently. Enough that if you learned from one, the others would try to correct your pronunciation, assuming that you learned it wrong.
Not hearing the difference is absolutely a thing. I took a university class on the nature of language and I still have clear memories of some of the example videos we watched when we studied the phenomenon. It’s a very “how is this possible” kind of feeling.
Iirc it just depends on the language(s) you spoke while developing. You could probably hear the difference when you were very little.
I’m gunna imagine this was you asking to get it perfect instead of close enough? ‘Cause then I can see them trying to help and the sound being a little tricky.
From my experience it seems like people, in general, would just rather a barely approximate attempt. The guy in the comic isn’t even trying to get it right and if they are then I’m sorry but they are profoundly stupid. It’s english words smashed together, we have the sounds and not even getting close is honestly pathetic.
It's true that everyone is different. I've known people across the spectrum, who'd pick English names they liked the sound of ("Pearl") and would refuse to tell me their given name; people who had long ago adopted nicknames to make it easier for foreigners ("JC", "Raj"); folks who obviously didn't give a shit ("eh, course enough"); but also the occasional person who'd go back and fourth with me on the pronunciation until we mutually realized it wasn't going to happen.
Sometimes it do be like that, humans will human
I always appreciate when people try, even if they suck. All you can ask of someone is that they try, it’s a good philosophy for life as well. Otherwise you’ll just be angry all the time.
Yeah but that would make for an even shittier comic.
"I sing, i sang i sung. You win, you've won.
Sung won.
SANGJWINN?" -proZD
quote context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RKkRCiU90
".... Do you have an English name?"
Also, Bridge 4
Bridge 4!
Also, I know you're quoting the video, but I do not and it has resulted in many similar situations.
Funnily enough, Shawn is the anglicisation of the Irish name Seán, so spelled for the reasons outlined in the OP.
I’m a super white lady living in a pretty multicultural area. Sadly I feel like I mostly experience the opposite here from my non-white friends. Those with names from their ancestral culture (is that a good way to put it? Not sure) either ignore our mispronunciations or simply adopt western names. I had a coworker from Shanghai whose name I always said wrong because of the inflection. It makes me sad that they kind of give up trying to teach people to pronounce their names correctly, but at the same time, I get it. It’s a lot of constant work and some of us white people, or other non-whites from different cultures, just aren’t going to try or see why it’s important. I probably wouldn’t force the issue either if it were me, but man, what a constant way to feel othered.
Ah, see, here's the problem; I'm not Shawn either.
after a lifetime of "fatty patty boom bah laddy" taken in good humor i'm not feeling the rage here
I'd've pronounced it "Yu-shu-wann" first-try, probably.
*"Hi. Sorry if I get your name wrong, but... is it 'Yuxuan'?"