尊姓 (zūn xìng) — (polite) your surname

Definition

A polite, formal way to ask or refer to someone's surname — the 尊 (honored) raises the register. Use it when meeting someone for the first time; in casual situations 姓 alone is enough.

noun
(polite) your surname

Examples

  • 尊姓？
    Qǐng wèn zūn xìng?
    May I ask your surname?
  • 尊姓，。
    Jiǔ yǎng zūn xìng, jīn rì zhōng yú jiàn miàn le.
    I have long admired your name; today we finally meet.
  • 尊姓，。
    Xiān sheng zūn xìng dà míng, zài xià zǎo yǒu ěr wén.
    Sir, I have long heard of your esteemed name.

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.

尊zūnhonored
姓xìngsurname

尊 means honored and 姓 means surname, giving a polite way to ask someone's family name.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape combines 寸 (hand) and 酋 (wine), showing a hand offering a wine vessel to express respect; some forms show two hands instead.

Open 尊 →

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 →

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