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同姓 (tóng xìng) — people who share the same surname; of the same surname

Definition

Adjective meaning 'sharing the same surname' (同姓的人 — people with the same surname). A cultural note: in Chinese tradition 同姓 people are often loosely regarded as one extended family, even without blood relation.

adjective
people who share the same surnameof the same surname

Examples

  • 同姓，。
    Wǒ men suī rán shì tóng xìng, dàn bú shì qīn qi.
    Although we share the same surname, we are not relatives.
  • 同姓。
    tóng xìng De rén cháng bèi shì wéi yì jiā rén.
    People with the same surname are often regarded as family.
  • 同姓，。
    Tā hé wǒ shì tóng xìng, méi shén me tè bié de guān xì.
    He and I share the same surname; there's no special relationship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

同tóngsame
姓xìngsurname

同 same and 姓 surname combine to mean same surname.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman; female
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng姓xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

姓 combines 女 (woman) with 生, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 姓 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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