魏
wèi
魏 (wèi) is the Chinese family name wei.
The word 魏 refers to a specific Chinese surname. The phonetic sound 'wei' is also used in the word 喂 (Wèi), which is a common and neutral way to say "hello" or "hey" when answering a phone call.
How do you pronounce it?
wèi
Did you know?
- The phonetic component of the character 魏 is the word for 'ghost', 鬼, which is a component many modern parents avoid when choosing auspicious names for children.
- The surname 魏 was once the name of a powerful vassal state during the Zhou dynasty. Many families adopted the name of the state they lived in as their own hereditary surname.
- In Chinese culture, the state of 魏 is famously associated with the 'Three Kingdoms' period. This makes the name appear frequently in historical dramas and literature like 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'.
Examples in context
- 我姓魏。Wǒ xìng Wèi.My surname is Wei.
- 那位老师姓魏。Nà wèi lǎoshī xìng Wèi.That teacher's surname is Wei.
- 魏先生在吗？Wèi xiānsheng zài ma?Is Mr. Wei here?
Example conversation
Two students are talking about a new classmate.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，你知道新同学姓什么吗？Hào rán, nǐ zhīdào xīn tóngxué xìng shénme ma?Haoran, do you know the new student's last name?
- 浩然 Haoran他姓魏。Tā xìng Wèi.His surname is Wei.
- 梓涵 Zihan魏是一个很常见的姓吗？Wèi shì yí gè hěn chángjiàn de xìng ma?Is Wei a common surname?
- 浩然 Haoran是的，在很多地方都能见到。Shì de, zài hěnduō dìfang dōu néng jiàndào.Yes, it can be seen in many places.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 魏, CC BY-SA 4.0.
