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  <title>Using the verb "xing"</title>
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  <h1>Using the verb <span class="pinyinst">xìng</span> "<span class="hanzist">姓</span>"</h1>

  <p>The verb <span class="hanzi">姓</span> (<span class="pinyin">xìng</span>) literally means "<b>to be surnamed</b>" or "<b>to have the surname</b>." It may seem awkward at first that there's a verb just for this, but you'll find that it's used quite often in Chinese.</p>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_144">Contents</h2>

  <div class="contents">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#Giving_One.27s_Surname"> 1 Giving One's Surname</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#Structure"> 1.1 Structure</a></li>

        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#Examples"> 1.2 Examples</a></li>
      </ul></li>

      <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#Asking_Someone.27s_Surname"> 2 Asking Someone's Surname</a></li>

      <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#See_also"> 3 See also</a></li>

      <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22xing%22#Sources_and_further_reading"> 4 Sources and further reading</a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_145"><span id="Giving_One.27s_Surname">Giving One's Surname</span></h2>

  <p><span class="hanzi">姓</span> (<span class="pinyin">xìng</span>) is used most often to tell someone your own surname, or to ask the surname of someone else.</p>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_146"><span id="Structure">Structure</span></h3>

  <div class="deux">
    Subj. + <span class="hanzist">姓</span> + [Surname]
  </div>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_147">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 姓 王。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ xìng Wáng.</span> <br/>My last name is Wang.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 老板 姓 宋 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ lǎobǎn xìng Sòng ma?</span> <br/>Is your boss‘s last name Song?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">那 个 帅哥 姓 张。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nà ge shuàigē xìng Zhāng.</span> <br/>That handsome guy's last name is Zhang.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 爸爸 姓 周，我 妈妈 姓 林 。我 叫 周林。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ bàba xìng Zhōu, wǒ māma xìng Lín. Wǒ jiào Zhōu Lín.</span> <br/>My father's last name is Zhou, my mother's last name is Lin. My name is Zhou Lin.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 女朋友 姓 钱。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tā nǚpéngyou xìng Qián.</span> <br/>His girlfriend's last name is Qian.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你好，我 姓 毛。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xìng Máo.</span><br/> Hello. My last name is Mao.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 姓 赵，我 太太 也 姓 赵。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ xìng Zhào, wǒ tàitai yě xìng Zhào.</span> <br/>My last name is Zhao. My wife's last name is also Zhao.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 的 中文 老师 姓 于。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī xìng Yú.</span> <br/>My Chinese teacher's last name is Yu.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 奶奶 也 姓 陈 吗 ？</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ nǎinai yě xìng Chén ma?</span> <br/>Is your grandma's last name also Chen?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 都 姓 李。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tāmen dōu xìng Lǐ.</span> <br/>All of their last names are Li.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_148"><span id="Asking_Someone.27s_Surname">Asking Someone's Surname</span></h2>

  <p>You can also use <span class="hanzi">姓</span> (<span class="pinyin">xìng</span>) to ask people their surnames. You could do this quite directly by saying:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 姓 什么？</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xìng shénme?</span> <br/>What is your last name?</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>However, the formal way to ask has a set form:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">您 贵 姓 ？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nín guì xìng?</span> <br/>What is your honorable surname?</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

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

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_149">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_the_verb_%22jiao%22" title="Using the verb &quot;jiao&quot;">Using the verb "jiào"</a></li>

    <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Introducing_people" title="Introducing people">Introducing people</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_150">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <ul>
    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 22-3)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本1</span>) (p. 39)</li>

    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 49)</li>
  </ul>
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