Using the verb "xing"

Revision as of 05:14, 26 November 2013 by Parry (talk | contribs) (Text replace - "{{Grammar Box}} " to "{{Grammar Box}} ")
Chinese-grammar-wiki-xing (1).jpg

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

Giving One's Surname

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

Structure

Subject + 姓 + Surname

Examples

  • 王。My last name is Wang.
  • 李。His last name is Li.
  • 那 个 帅哥 张。That handsome guy's last name is Zhang.
  • 我爸爸周,我妈妈李,我叫周林。My father's last name is Zhou, my mother's last name is Li. My name is Zhou Lin.
  • 我女朋友钱。My girlfriend's last name is Qian.
  • 你好,我毛,我叫毛思平。Hello. My last name is Mao. My name is Mao Siping.
  • 潘,我太太宋。My last name is Pan. My wife's last name is Song.
  • 于。My last name is Yu.
  • 杨。My last name is Yang.
  • 我们都李。All of our last names are Li.

Asking Someone's Surname

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

  • 你 姓 什么 ? What is your last name?

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

  • 您 贵 姓 ?What is your honourable surname?

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