The character 姓 — “surname”: how to write it and what it means
surname
The Chinese character 姓 is read xìng and means “surname”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 姓
姓 has 8 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 姓, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 姓 is made of
On the left, 女 “woman”; on the right, 生 “be born”: long ago, family lines were traced through the mother.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 姓
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 姓?
姓 has 8 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 姓 mean?
姓 means “surname”. It appears in 姓名 (“full name”), 贵姓 (“your surname?”), 老百姓 (“ordinary people”).
How do you pronounce 姓?
姓 is read xìng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 姓 have?
8 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 姓 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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