姓

xìng

女 + 生

HSK 2.0Level 2

HSK 3.0Level 2

Definitions

xìng (noun) surname; family name

xìng (verb) to be surnamed

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 生 represents the sound.

Semantic: 女 Phonetic: 生

About

姓 denotes a family name or surname. It combines the female radical 女 (nǚ, woman) and the component 生 (shēng, to be born). The 女 radical hints at the meaning, while 生 provides the sound. This structure reflects the matrilineal roots of early Chinese society, where lineage and tribal affiliation were traced through the mother. Despite the later shift to patriarchy, the character retained the female radical and remains the standard term for a clan name passed down through generations.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的姓氏是王。

Wo3 de xing4shi4 shi4 Wang2.

My surname is Wang.

你的姓氏是什么？

Ni3 de xing4shi4 shi4 shen2me?

What is your surname?

她姓李，叫李芳。

Ta1 xing4 Li3, jiao4 Li3 Fang1.

Her surname is Li, and she is called Li Fang.

请问您贵姓？

Qing3 wen4 nin2 gui4 xing4?

May I ask your surname?

在中国，姓氏很重要。

Zai4 Zhong1guo2, xing4shi4 hen3 zhong4yao4.

In China, surnames are very important.

他的姓和我的姓一样。

Ta1 de xing4 he2 wo3 de xing4 yi2yang4.

His surname and my surname are the same.

你知道她姓什么吗？

Ni3 zhi1dao4 ta1 xing4 shen2me ma?

Do you know what her surname is?

姓氏通常随父亲。

Xing4shi4 tong1chang2 sui2 fu4qin1.

Surnames are usually inherited from the father.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 生

姓