姓 (surname is)

• Pinyin: xìng
• Formation: Subject + 姓 + [Surname]
• Hanzi breakdown: 姓 = 女 (woman) + 生 (birth)

Meaning

The verb 姓 (xìng) is used to state or ask about someone's family name (surname). The pattern Subject + 姓 + Surname means 'one's surname is [X].' It functions as a verb, not requiring 是.

Unlike English where you say 'My last name is Wang,' Chinese uses 姓 directly as a verb: 我姓王. This is a unique feature of Chinese — 姓 is both a noun meaning 'surname' and a verb meaning 'to have the surname of.' To politely ask someone's surname, the formal expression 您贵姓? (literally 'what is your honorable surname?') is used. The casual form is 你姓什么? When answering 您贵姓, it is conventional to reply 免贵姓... (literally 'no need for the honorable form, my surname is...') as a show of modesty. Note that 姓 is only for surnames — for full names use 叫.

Examples

1. 我姓王，你可以叫我小王。 My surname is Wang, you can call me Xiao Wang.
2. 请问您贵姓？ May I ask your surname?
3. 她姓李，叫李婷婷。 Her surname is Li, her full name is Li Tingting.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, everyday, introductions

Tone: conversational

Do Say

• 你好，我姓陈，是新来的员工。
• 请问您贵姓？我免贵姓刘。
• 我同桌姓周，我们关系很好。

Don't Say

• 我姓是王。(Do not add 是 after 姓 — 姓 is already a verb meaning 'to have the surname'; adding 是 creates a double verb) → 我姓王。
• 我姓王芳。(姓 is only for surnames, not full names — for a full name use 叫: 我叫王芳) → 我叫王芳。

Origin & History

The character 姓 combines 女 (woman) and 生 (birth), reflecting the matrilineal origins of Chinese surnames. In ancient China, many of the oldest surnames contained the 女 radical, indicating that family lineage was originally traced through the mother.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal