姓
姓 (xìng) means “surname”. It is made of 女 + 生 and has 8 strokes, and is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 姓 into its parts
What 姓 is made of
- 女 nǚ — woman
- 生 shēng — life
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 土 tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 女 gives the meaning, 生 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
姓 stroke order
Example sentences
我姓王，叫王明。Wǒ xìng Wáng, jiào Wáng Míng.My surname is Wang; my name is Wang Ming.
请问您姓什么？Qǐngwèn nín xìng shénme?May I ask your surname?
Words with 姓
Also built with 女
- 奴núslave
- 奶nǎimilk
- 她tāshe
- 好hǎogood
- 如rúas
- 妄wàngabsurd
- 妆zhuāngadornment
- 妇fùmarried woman
- 妈māmother
- 妒dùjealous
- 妙miàomysterious
- 妥tuǒsecure
Quick facts
| Pinyin | xìng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | surname; to be surnamed |
| Strokes | 8 |
| Radical | 女 (woman, #38) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 2 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) · Old HSK 2 |
Questions about 姓
What does 姓 mean?
姓 (xìng) means “surname; to be surnamed”.
How many strokes does 姓 have?
姓 has 8 strokes.
What is the radical of 姓?
The radical of 姓 is 女 (nǚ, “woman”), Kangxi radical number 38.
What parts make up 姓?
姓 is made of 女 (woman) and 生 (life).
Which HSK level is 姓?
姓 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Learn 姓 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 2: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.