姓

• 拼音: xìng
• 汉字拆解: 姓 = 女 (woman) + 生 (to be born) — clan identity passed through the mother in ancient times

含义

Surname; family name; to be surnamed. Used to state or ask about someone's family name.

As a noun, 姓 means 'surname' or 'family name.' As a verb, it means 'to have the surname' — e.g., 我姓王 (My surname is Wang). In Chinese culture, the surname comes before the given name and carries great significance. The polite way to ask someone's name is 您贵姓 (What is your honourable surname?).

例句

1. 请问您贵姓？
2. 我姓李，叫李明。
3. 他们两个人姓一样的。

用法指南

语境: introduction, formal, everyday

语气: polite

正确说法

• 您贵姓？(What is your surname? — polite form)
• 我姓张。(My surname is Zhang.)

错误说法

• 我的姓是王。(While grammatically possible, the natural way is 我姓王, using 姓 as a verb. 我的姓是... sounds stiff and unnatural.)

起源与历史

Compound of 女 (woman) and 生 (to be born), reflecting the matrilineal origins of Chinese clan names in ancient society.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal