姓

姓	U+59D3, 姓 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-59D3

← 姒
[U+59D2]

CJK Unified Ideographs

委 →
[U+59D4]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

姓 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 女竹手一 (VHQM), four-corner 4541₀, composition ⿰女生)

References

KangXi: page 259, character 5

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6178

Dae Jaweon: page 524, character 9

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1037, character 12

Unihan data for U+59D3

Chinese

trad.		姓
simp. ^#		姓
alternative forms		𤯕𤯣𤯧𤯬

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (生) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
猜	*sʰlɯː
輤	*sʰleːns
綪	sʰleːns, ʔsreːŋ
倩	sʰleːns, sʰleŋs
棈	*sʰleːns
蒨	*sʰeːns
篟	*sʰeːns
生	sʰleːŋ, sreŋs
牲	*sreŋ
笙	*sreŋ
甥	*sreŋ
鉎	sreŋ, sleːŋ
珄	*sreŋ
鼪	sreŋ, sreŋs
猩	sreŋ, seːŋ
狌	*sreŋ
眚	*sreŋʔ
貹	*sreŋs
崝	*zreːŋ
精	ʔsleŋ, ʔsleŋs
菁	*ʔsleŋ
鶄	ʔsleŋ, sʰleːŋ
蜻	ʔsleŋ, sʰleːŋ
鼱	*ʔsleŋ
婧	ʔsleŋ, zleŋs, *zleŋʔ
睛	ʔsleŋ, sʰleŋʔ
箐	*ʔsleŋ
聙	*ʔsleŋ
旌	*ʔsleŋ
清	*sʰleŋ
圊	*sʰleŋ
請	sʰleŋʔ, zleŋs, *zleŋ
凊	*sʰleŋs
䝼	zleŋs, zleŋ
靚	*zleŋs
情	*zleŋ
晴	*zleŋ
夝	*zleŋ
靜	*zleŋʔ
靖	*zleŋʔ
睲	seŋʔ, seːŋs
惺	seŋʔ, seːŋ
性	*sleŋs
姓	*sleŋs
靗	*l̥ʰeŋs
鯖	ʔljeŋ, sʰleːŋ
青	*sʰleːŋ
靘	sʰleːŋ, sʰleːŋs
掅	*sʰleːŋs
胜	*sleːŋ
曐	*sleːŋ
星	*sleːŋ
鮏	*sleːŋ
腥	seːŋ, seːŋs
鯹	*seːŋ
醒	seːŋ, seːŋʔ, *seːŋs
篂	*seːŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *sleŋs) : semantic 女 (“woman; female”) + phonetic 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs).

Etymology

Specialised form of 性 (xìng): “human nature; what is inborn” > “surname; clan name”.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): xìng (xing⁴)
(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄥˋ
(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): щин (xin, III)
Cantonese (Jyutping): sing³, seng³
Gan (Wiktionary): xiang⁴ / xin⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): siang
(Meixian, Guangdong): xiang⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): xing³
Min Bei (KCR): sia̿ng
Min Dong (BUC): sáng / síng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): sèng / sìⁿ / sèⁿ
(Teochew, Peng'im): sên²
Wu (Wiktionary): xin (T2)
Xiang (Wiktionary): sin⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xìng
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄥˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sìng
  - Wade–Giles: hsing⁴
  - Yale: syìng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shinq
  - Palladius: син (sin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiŋ⁵¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: щин (xin, III)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sing³, seng³
  - Yale: sing, seng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sing³, seng³
  - Guangdong Romanization: xing³, séng³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪŋ³³/, /sɛːŋ³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: xiang⁴ / xin⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiaŋ³⁵/, /ɕin³⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siang
  - Hakka Romanization System: xiang
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xiang⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ɕi̯aŋ⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: xiang⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /ɕiaŋ⁵³/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: xing³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕĩŋ⁴⁵/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sia̿ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siaŋ³³/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sáng / síng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɑŋ²¹³/, /sɛiŋ²¹³/

Note: síng - literary.

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sèng
  - Tâi-lô: sìng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sexng
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /ɕiɪŋ²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ɕiɪŋ¹¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕiɪŋ⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sìⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: sìnn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: svix
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕĩ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ɕĩ¹¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ɕĩ²¹/
- (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sèⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: sènn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: svex
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /sɛ̃²¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /sẽ²¹/

Note:

sèng - literary;
sèⁿ, sìⁿ - vernacular.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sên²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: séⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sẽ⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: xin (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕɪɲ³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: sin⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /sin⁴⁵/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕin⁴⁵/

Middle Chinese: /siᴇŋ^H/

Rime
Character	姓
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	清 (121)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	息正切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siᴇŋ^H/
Pan Wuyun	/siɛŋ^H/
Shao Rongfen	/siæŋ^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siajŋ^H/
Li Rong	/siɛŋ^H/
Wang Li	/sĭɛŋ^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯ɛŋ^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xìng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sing³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*seŋ-s/
(Zhengzhang): /*sleŋs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	姓
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	xìng
Middle Chinese	‹ sjeng^H ›
Old Chinese	/*seŋ-s/
English	surname
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	姓
Reading #	1/1
No.	11359
Phonetic component	生
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	性
Old Chinese	/*sleŋs/

Definitions

姓

surname; family name; clan name
你的姓怎麼拼寫？／你的姓怎么拼写？ ― Nǐ de xìng zěnme pīnxiě? ― How do you spell your last name?
您貴姓？／您贵姓？ ― Nín guìxìng? ― What is your surname? [honorific]
Coordinate term: 名 (míng)
to have the surname of
我姓陳。／我姓陈。 ― Wǒ xìng Chén. ― My surname is Chen.
(figurative) to belong to; to be classified as
黨媒姓黨／党媒姓党 ― dǎngméi xìng Dǎng ― (please add an English translation of this example)
姓資姓社 [MSC, trad.]
姓资姓社 [MSC, simp.]
xìng zī xìng shè [Pinyin]
(please add an English translation of this example)
- 我們的研究並非要急著爭論它究竟姓「客」還是姓「粵」，我們更感興趣的是這種混合語究竟是如何形成的。 [MSC, trad.]
  我们的研究并非要急着争论它究竟姓“客”还是姓“粤”，我们更感兴趣的是这种混合语究竟是如何形成的。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2014, 周佳凡 (Zhou Jiafan), 《深圳坪山占米话研究》 (thesis), Xiamen: Xiamen University, page I
  Wǒmen de yánjiū bìngfēi yào jízhe zhēnglùn tā jiūjìng xìng “kè” háishì xìng “yuè”, wǒmen gèng gǎn xìngqù de shì zhè zhǒng hùnhéyǔ jiūjìng shì rúhé xíngchéng de. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this example)
- 還有一點值得說的是，黃河「姓黃」，黃河畢竟流經黃土高原，沒有必要追求絕對的清澈。 [MSC, trad.]
  还有一点值得说的是，黄河“姓黄”，黄河毕竟流经黄土高原，没有必要追求绝对的清澈。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2020 November 28, 《以考古之光照亮文明深处与细节——中国考古与历史主题新书访谈》, in 《光明日报》 [Guangming Daily], ISSN 1002-3666, page 09
  Háiyǒu yī diǎn zhídé shuō de shì, Huáng Hé “xìng huáng”, Huáng Hé bìjìng liújīng Huángtǔ Gāoyuán, méiyǒu bìyào zhuīqiú juéduì de qīngchè. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this example)
a surname

Compounds

Derived terms from 姓

一姓
上姓 (shàngxìng)
九姓
二姓
五姓
五姓蕃
他姓
仝姓
代姓
俗姓
假名托姓
允姓
兆姓
八姓
公姓
共姓
冒姓 (màoxìng)
出姓
十姓百名
十姓部落
千家姓
受姓
右姓
合姓
同姓 (tóngxìng)
名姓 (míngxìng)
吹律定姓
命姓
四姓
四姓小侯
土姓
士姓
外姓 (wàixìng)
大姓 (dàxìng)
夫姓
姓名 (xìngmíng)
姓名牌 (xìngmíngpái)
姓字
姓族
姓望
姓氏 (xìngshì)
姓第
姓系
子姓
字姓
宗姓
客姓
寓姓
尊姓 (zūnxìng)

尊姓大名 (zūnxìngdàmíng)
小姓 (xiǎoxìng)
小百姓
希姓
常姓
平章百姓
平等百姓
庶姓
得姓
指名道姓 (zhǐmíngdàoxìng)
提名道姓
改名易姓
改姓易代
改姓更名
族姓
易姓
晐姓
更名改姓
更姓
更姓改物
有名有姓 (yǒumíngyǒuxìng)
望姓
本姓
正姓
氏姓
甲姓
百姓 (bǎixìng)
百姓之心
百姓公
百家姓 (Bǎijiāxìng)
素姓
群姓
老百姓 (lǎobǎixìng)
臣姓
著姓
裔姓
覆姓 (fùxìng)
豪姓
跟官咁耐唔知官姓乜
郡姓
重姓
革姓
高姓
黎民百姓
黑姓
鼎姓 (dǐngxìng)
備百姓／备百姓
億姓／亿姓

內姓／内姓
兩姓／两姓
兩姓之好／两姓之好
別姓／别姓
單姓／单姓 (dānxìng)
國姓／国姓 (guóxìng)
國姓爺／国姓爷 (Guóxìngyé)
圍姓／围姓
姓名條例／姓名条例
姓名權／姓名权
姓號／姓号
屬姓／属姓
平頭百姓／平头百姓
強姓／强姓
復姓／复姓 (fùxìng)
指樹為姓／指树为姓
揚名顯姓／扬名显姓
改名換姓／改名换姓 (gǎimínghuànxìng)
改朝換姓／改朝换姓
東京六姓／东京六姓
柳車變姓／柳车变姓
漢姓／汉姓 (hànxìng)
異姓／异姓 (yìxìng)
種姓／种姓 (zhǒngxìng)
稱名道姓／称名道姓
緣姓／缘姓
舊姓／旧姓 (jiùxìng)
萬姓／万姓 (wànxìng)
萬姓統譜／万姓统谱
複姓／复姓 (fùxìng)
記姓名／记姓名
詭姓／诡姓
諸姓／诸姓
變名易姓／变名易姓
貴姓／贵姓 (guìxìng)
賜姓／赐姓 (cìxìng)
賤姓／贱姓
還姓／还姓
都頭異姓／都头异姓
闈姓／闱姓
隱名埋姓／隐名埋姓
隱姓埋名／隐姓埋名 (yǐnxìngmáimíng)
雜姓／杂姓
頂名冒姓／顶名冒姓
題名道姓／题名道姓
顯姓／显姓
顯姓揚名／显姓扬名
風姓／风姓

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (姓):

→ Japanese: 姓(せい) (sei)
→ Korean: 성(姓) (seong)
→ Vietnamese: tính (姓)

Others:

→ Thai: แซ่ (sɛ̂ɛ)

References

“姓”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00909
“Entry #3781”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

Japanese

Kanji

姓

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

clan
surname

Readings

Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)
Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
Kun: かばね (kabane, 姓)

Compounds

姓氏(しょうじ) (shōji)
姓氏(せいし) (seishi)
姓階(せいかい)制度(せいど) (seikaiseido)
姓族(せいぞく) (seizoku)
姓名(せいめい) (seimei)
五姓(ごしょう) (goshō)
四姓(ししょう) (shishō)
素姓(すじょう), 種姓(すじょう) (sujō)
俗姓(ぞくしょう) (zokushō)
百姓(ひゃくしょう) (hyakushō)
異姓(いせい) (isei)
易姓(えきせい) (ekisei)
改姓(かいせい) (kaisei)
外姓(がいせい) (gaisei)
下姓(かせい) (kasei)
旧姓(きゅうせい) (kyūsei)
現姓(げんせい) (gensei)
国姓(こくせい) (kokusei)
三姓(さんせい) (sansei)
四種姓(ししゅせい) (shishusei)
四姓(しせい) (shisei)
氏姓(しせい) (shisei)
賜姓(しせい) (shisei)
俗姓(ぞくせい) (zokusei)
他姓(たせい) (tasei)
同姓(どうせい) (dōsei)
万姓(ばんせい) (bansei)
百姓(ひゃくせい) (hyakusei)
複姓(ふくせい) (fukusei)
別姓(べっせい) (bessei)
本姓(ほんせい) (honsei)
五姓田(ごせだ) (Goseda)
百姓(おおみたから) (ōmitakara)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
姓
かばね Grade: S
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese.[1][2]

Ultimate derivation unclear. Some theories derive this as a Japanese compound of 株 (kabu, “stock, root”) + 根 (ne, “root, origin”) or 名 (na, “name”). However, the required /u/ → /a/ sound shift would be unusual.

Another thought is that this might be a borrowing from, or somehow otherwise related to, Korean 골품 (golpum), a Sino-Korean term also spelled 骨品 (literally “bones + goods”), the name for a kind of kinship hierarchy that was prevalent in the Silla kingdom. This latter theory and its related “bone” sense might also account for the homophony with 屍 (kabane, “corpse, dead body”).

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) かばね [kàbáné] (Heiban – [0])[2]
IPA^(key): [ka̠ba̠ne̞]

Noun

姓(かばね) • (kabane)

a clan
Synonym: 氏 (uji)
(historical) a kind of hereditary title bestowed to clans in ancient Japan

Derived terms

姓(かばね)書(がき) (kabane-gaki): (historical) someone's full name, written out with the status of their clan appended
姓(かばね)名(な) (kabane na, “clan name”)
八色(やくさ)の姓(かばね) (Yakusa no Kabane), 八色(はっしき)の姓(かばね) (Hasshiki no Kabane): a specific set of eight kabane titles promulgated by Emperor Tenmu in 675 CE

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
姓
せい Grade: S
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 姓 (MC siᴇŋ^H). The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing. Compare modern Min Nan reading sèⁿ.

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

(Tokyo) せー [séꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
IPA^(key): [se̞ː]

Noun

姓(せい) • (sei)

surname, family name
clan

Derived terms

八姓(はっせい) (hassei)

Idioms

姓(せい)を冒(おか)す (sei o okasu): to be adopted by a different clan; to take on a different surname

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
姓
しょう Grade: S
on’yomi

/siau/ → /ɕjɔː/ → /ɕoː/

From Middle Chinese 姓 (MC siᴇŋ^H). The goon, so likely the initial borrowing. Compare modern Hakka reading siang.

This reading is less common than sei above.

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Goon

(Tokyo) しょー [shóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ː]

Noun

姓(しょう) • (shō) ^{←しやう (syau)^?}

(uncommon) surname, family name
(uncommon) clan

Derived terms

上姓(じょうしょう) (jōshō)
下姓(げしょう) (geshō)
小姓(こしょう) (koshō)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
姓
しょう > そう Grade: S
irregular

A shift from shō above to use the 直音 (chokuon, “"straight" pronunciation”, dropping out any /j/ or /w/ glides).[1]

This reading is not used in modern Japanese, and is only found in historical texts, such as the Utsubo Monogatari from the late 900s.

Pronunciation

(Irregular reading)

IPA^(key): [so̞ː]

Noun

姓(そう) • (sō)

(historical, obsolete) surname, family name
(historical, obsolete) clan

References

1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 姓 (MC siᴇŋ^H). Recorded as Middle Korean 셔ᇰ (syeng) (Yale: syeng) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɘ(ː)ŋ]
Phonetic hangul: [성(ː)]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Wikisource姓 (eumhun 성씨 성 (seongssi seong))

Hanja form^? of 성 (“clan; family name”).

Compounds

백성 (百姓, baekseong)
성씨 (姓氏, seongssi)
동성 (同姓, dongseong)
본성 (本姓, bonseong)
성명 (姓名, seongmyeong)
통성명 (通姓名, tongseongmyeong)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

姓: Hán Nôm readings: tính

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[KDJ-1] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

[DJR-2] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

姓

Translingual

Han character

References

Chinese

Glyph origin

Etymology

Pronunciation

Definitions

Compounds

Descendants

References

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Idioms

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Noun

References

Further reading

Korean

Etymology

Pronunciation

Hanja

Compounds

References

Vietnamese

Han character