Culture
Names & Forms of Address
Chinese names put the family name first, then the given name. Family names are almost always a single character; given names are one or two.
Example: 王 小明 — surname 王 (Wáng), given name 小明 (Xiǎomíng). In English you'd introduce him as "Wang Xiaoming" — the family name still comes first.
The most common surnames
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Wáng | king | |
| Lǐ | plum | |
| Zhāng | (verb "to stretch") | |
| Liú | (a surname) | |
| Chén | (a surname) | |
| Yáng | poplar |
These six cover roughly a quarter of the Chinese population.
Forms of address
- 小 + surname — "Young X" (for someone younger or your peer): 小李 "Young Li".
- 老 + surname — "Old X" (warm, respectful, for someone older or familiar): 老王 "Old Wang".
- surname + 先生 / 女士 — "Mr. / Ms. X" (formal): 王 先生 "Mr. Wang".
- surname + 老师 — "Teacher X" (also used for any expert): 李 老师 "Teacher Li".
Quiz
Pick the best answer for each question. You get feedback right away.
-
In the name 王小明, which part is the family name?
-
How would you warmly address an older man named 王?
-
Chinese family names are usually: