Using the verb "xing"
The verb 姓 literally means "to be surnamed" or "to have the surname". 姓 can be used to give surnames in the following structure:
Subject + 姓 + Surname
Some examples:
- 我 姓 王。
- 他 姓 李。
- 那 个 很 帅 的 男人 姓 葛。
You can also use 姓 to ask people their surnames. You could do this quite directly by saying "你姓什么？". However, the polite way to ask has a set form:
- 您贵姓？
Literally this means "What is your honourable surname?" Use this form to be polite when asking people their surnames.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 22 - 23) →buy
