You’ve probably been mispronouncing Simu Liu’s name wrong

Action star Simu Liu is clarifying how to pronounce his surname after years of hearing it said incorrectly in interviews and public appearances as “Lu.”

In a video shared to Instagram and TikTok last week, the Chinese Canadian actor said his surname “Liu” is pronounced closer to “lee-yu.” He emphasized the importance of the distinction as “Lu” and “Liu” represent different Chinese surnames.

Liu said the pronunciation issue often stems from people simplifying unfamiliar names in English-speaking environments. Addressing a recent viral trend, the 36-year-old star wrote in the caption, “If you’re gonna claim to be in a Chinese era of your life then you should learn the proper pronunciation of LIU.”

“I feel like a lot of Lius grew up in non-Asian environments and they went by ‘Lu’ for simplicity’s sake because that’s even easier to say and it’s better than nothing, right?” Liu said. “But if you really want to get technical with it, Lu and Liu are two different Chinese last names,” he added, “… in case you care, in case you want to make an effort and get it right. Either is fine. My name, though, is Simu, and you should definite ly get that right, you bitches.”

The actor, who was born in Harbin, China and later immigrated to Canada, rose to global recognition for portraying Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios’ 2021 film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” one of the first major superhero films led by an Asian protagonist.