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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to have the surname' with 姓 (xìng)

    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    Subject + 姓 + Surname

    Explanation

    姓 (xìng) means "to have the surname" or "to be surnamed." It is used to state or ask about a person's family name, as in 他姓王 (His surname is Wang).

    Examples

    • 你好，请问您贵姓？我姓李。

      Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn nín guì xìng? Wǒ xìng Lǐ.

      Hello, may I ask your surname? My surname is Li.

    • 他姓张，是我的同事。

      Tā xìng Zhāng, shì wǒ de tóngshì.

      His surname is Zhang; he is my colleague.

    • 我姓王，你可以叫我小王。

      Wǒ xìng Wáng, nǐ kěyǐ jiào wǒ Xiǎo Wáng.

      My surname is Wang; you can call me Xiao Wang.

    Expressing 'to have the surname' with 姓 (xìng) | Chinese Grammar