姓
My surname is …, my name is … · May I ask your surname? · Mr / Teacher + surname
Structure
我 姓 + 姓，叫 + 名字 · 您 贵姓？ · 姓 + 老师／先生
What it means
姓 is a verb, “to be surnamed”: 我姓刘 (my surname is Liu). For the full name, use 叫.
How it is built
我 + 姓 + surname，叫 + full name: 我姓王，叫王明 (my surname is Wang; I’m Wang Ming). Negative: 我不姓李.
When to use it
Ask politely with 您贵姓？ (贵 means “honourable”). For people you respect, put the title after the surname: 刘经理, 陈先生, 张老师.
Watch out
✗ ——您贵姓？——我贵姓刘。 ✓ 我姓刘。 贵 is only for asking other people, never for yourself.
Examples
——您贵姓？——我姓王，叫王明。
“May I ask your surname?” “Wang. My name is Wang Ming.”
他姓陈，你可以叫他陈先生。
His surname is Chen; you can call him Mr Chen.
我不姓李，我姓刘。
My surname isn’t Li, it’s Liu.
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 1: 新同事 (A new colleague)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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