Using the verb "xing"

The verb 姓 (xìng) literally means "to be surnamed" or "to have the surname."

Giving One's Surname

You can use 姓 (xìng) to tell someone your own surname, or that of someone else.

Subject + 姓 + Surname

我姓王。Wǒ xìng Wáng.My last name is Wang.
他姓李。Tā xìng Lǐ.His last name is Li.
那个帅哥姓张。Nàgè shuàigē xìng Zhāng.That handsome guy's last name is Zhang.
我爸爸姓周，我妈妈姓林。我叫周林。Wǒ bàba xìng Zhōu, wǒ māmā xìng Lín. Wǒ jiào Zhōu Lín.My father's last name is Zhou, my mother's last name is Lin. My name is Zhou Lin.
我女朋友姓钱。Wǒ nǚ péngyǒu xìng Qián.My girlfriend's last name is Qian.
你好，我姓毛。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xìng Máo.Hello. My last name is Mao.
我姓潘，我太太姓宋。Wǒ xìng Pān, wǒ tàitài xìng Sòng.My last name is Pan. My wife's last name is Song.
我姓于。Wǒ xìng Yú.My last name is Yu.
我姓杨。Wǒ xìng Yáng.My last name is Yang.
我们都姓李。Wǒmen dōu xìng Lǐ.All of our last names are Li.

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

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

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