Not many people know this, but Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks fluent Chinese, thanks to his marriage to Priscilla Chan, a Chinese-American pediatrician and philanthropist.
Zuckerberg first surprised the world with his second language when he attended a Q&A forum in Tsinghua University in Beijing, China in 2014 and only spoke Mandarin. Chinese people have said it was a challenge to understand him then, but that he improved when he returned the following year to give a speech about Facebook’s mission. The same year, he spoke with Chinese president Xi Jinpin in Mandarin.
Now, Zuckerberg is showing his mastery of the language in a new video released on Facebook, where he greeted everyone a happy Chinese New Year with his wife and their daughter Max.
According to the post:
Happy Lunar New Year from Priscilla, Max and me!
In the Year of the Monkey, I hope you and all your loved ones find happiness, health and good fortune.
Zuckerberg also revealed Max’s Chinese name, Chen Mingyu. Chen comes from Chan’s family name, while Mingyu “represents our hope for a brighter tomorrow for the world.”
In the video, the couple said, “Priscilla and I are very excited to celebrate our first Lunar New Year with Max. We hope on this holiday, you are also spending it with your family and friends.”
Zuckerberg vowed to study Chinese in 2010, but fulfilled it because Chan’s grandmother only speaks Chinese.
Watch the video below:
What are you doing for Chinese New Year? Share your plans below!
