Using the verb "xing"

Level

A1 / HSK2
Level

A1
Level

HSK2
Similar to
- Using the verb "jiao" (A1)
Similar to
- Using the verb "jiao" (HSK1)
Used for

Introducing people
Keywords

姓

The verb 姓 (xìng) literally means "to be surnamed" or "to have the surname." It may seem awkward at first that there's a verb just for this, but you'll find that it's used quite often in Chinese.

Giving One's Surname

姓 (xìng) is used most often to tell someone your own surname ("family name" or "last name"), or to ask the surname of someone else.

Structure

Subj. + 姓 + [Surname]

Examples

我姓王。Wǒ xìng Wáng.My family name is Wang.
你老板姓李吗？ Nǐ lǎobǎn xìng Lǐ ma?Is your boss's last name Li?
那个帅哥姓张。Nàge shuàigē xìng Zhāng.That handsome guy's last name is Zhang.
我爸爸姓周，我妈妈姓林。Wǒ bàba xìng Zhōu, wǒ māma xìng Lín.My father's family name is Zhou. My mother's family name is Lin.
他女朋友姓钱。Tā nǚpéngyou xìng Qián.His girlfriend's last name is Qian.
你好，我姓毛。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xìng Máo.Hello. My last name is Mao.
我姓赵，我太太也姓赵。Wǒ xìng Zhào, wǒ tàitai yě xìng Zhào.My last name is Zhao. My wife's last name is also Zhao.
我的中文老师姓陈。Wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī xìng Chén.My Chinese teacher's surname is Chen.
你奶奶也姓陈吗？ Nǐ nǎinai yě xìng Chén ma?Is your grandma's family name also Chen?
他们都姓李。Tāmen dōu xìng Lǐ.All of their surnames are Li.

Asking Someone's Surname

You can also use 姓 (xìng) to ask people their surnames. You could do this quite directly by saying:

你姓什么? Nǐ xìng shénme?What is your last name?

However, the formal way to ask has a set form:

您贵姓？Nín guì xìng?What is your honorable surname?

Literally this means "What is your honorable surname?" Use this form to be polite when asking people their surnames.

Sources and further reading