你的姓氏
nǐ de xìngshì
The English phrase "your last name" is translated into Chinese as 你的姓氏 (nǐ de xìngshì).
你的姓氏 refers to the family name that a person shares with their parents. It is important to remember that in Chinese, surnames usually come before the given name.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 姓氏 (xìngshì) is composed of two parts: 姓 (xìng), which means surname and 氏 (shì), which is a formal term for a clan or family name.
Which one should you use?
While 姓氏 is a formal noun for "surname", the single character 姓 (xìng) is often used more colloquially in conversation. For example, you might see it used in the phrase 您贵姓? (What is your honorable surname?). Additionally, Chinese speakers often use 姓 as a verb to ask for a last name, such as in the question 您姓什么? (What is your surname?).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 你的姓氏 is standard, but you can increase the level of politeness and respect by replacing the possessive 你的 (nǐ de) with the polite form 您的 (nín de) to create 您的姓氏.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ de xìngshì
Did you know?
- The character 姓 (xìng) is composed of the radicals for 'woman' and 'birth'. This reflects an ancient social structure where surnames were traced through the maternal line.
- During the Hundred Surnames period, the text 百家姓 (Bǎijiāxìng) was written to help people learn to read by listing the most common family names in China.
- In very formal settings, asking 您贵姓? (nín guì xìng) literally describes the person's surname as 'expensive' or 'noble' to show high respect.
Examples in context
- 你的姓氏怎么写？How do you write your last name?This sentence is useful for asking how to write the form 你的姓氏.Tatoeba #5794104 by verdastelo9604, translation #914377 by CK
- 你的姓氏很有意义。Nǐ de xìngshì hěn yǒu yìyì.Your last name is very meaningful.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Yuting are filling out registration forms together.
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，这里要写你的姓氏。Yǔtíng, zhèlǐ yào xiě nǐ de xìngshì.Yuting, you need to write your last name here.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，我这就写。Hǎo de, wǒ zhè jiù xiě.Okay, I will write it now.
- 浩然 Haoran写完后请给我看一下。Xiě wán hòu qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yīxià.Please let me see it after you finish writing.
- 雨婷 Yuting给，你看对了吗？Gěi, nǐ kàn duì le ma?Here, does it look correct to you?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
