Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 姓 | xìng |
| 姓氏 | xìngshì |
The term refers to the name that indicates one's family. For example, you can use a person's surname followed by 先生 (xiānsheng) to say 'Mr.' or followed by 女士 (nǚshì) to say 'Ms.' in a formal setting. In more informal settings, you might address an older male friend by adding 哥 (gē) after their surname or an older female friend by adding 姐 (jiě).
Which one should you use?
姓 is the standard term used in daily conversation, whereas 姓氏 is a more formal or technical term for 'surname' typically found in documentation or academic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 姓 is versatile and can function as both a noun meaning 'surname' and as a verb meaning 'to be surnamed' or 'to have the surname of'.
How do you pronounce it?
xìng
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use 名字 (míngzi) when you want to ask for someone's surname, as 名字 specifically refers to a given name.
Did you know?
- The character 姓 contains the radical for 'woman' (女), a visual hint to the word's ancient origins.
- Some people in China possess compound surnames consisting of two characters, although single-character surnames are far more common.
- In Chinese, the surname always comes before the given name. This order reflects the cultural priority of the collective family over the individual.
Examples in context
- 你的姓怎么读？How is your surname pronounced?This sentence is useful for asking how to pronounce the form 姓.Tatoeba #8895540 by crescat, translation #3695384 by MTC
- 我跟我妈妈姓。I take my mother's surname.This sentence demonstrates using 姓 as a verb to say one takes a mother's surname.Tatoeba #13947397 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13947398 by jan_OkulaJu
- 你的姓氏怎么写？How is your surname written?This sentence shows how to ask how to write the form 姓氏.Tatoeba #5794104 by verdastelo9604, translation #436257 by lukaszpp
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are exchanging contact information.
- 雨婷 Yuting你姓什么？Nǐ xìng shénme?What is your surname?
- 俊杰 Junjie我姓王，你呢？Wǒ xìng Wáng, nǐ ne?My surname is Wang, and yours?
- 雨婷 Yuting我姓李，很高兴认识你。Wǒ xìng Lǐ, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.My surname is Li, nice to meet you.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也很高兴认识你。Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.Nice to meet you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surname” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 姓, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
