Meaning of 名字
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- name (of a person or thing)
How to use 名字
名字 is the everyday word for a person's name, and it also works for pets, places, and things. The most common question is 你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) What is your name?
名 (míng) means name and 字 (zì) means character or word, so 名字 is the name you write out in characters. Think of it as your name in written form.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second syllable with a full fourth tone, zì, but in 名字 it is usually neutral: míngzi. Also, 名字 is casual. On forms you will see 姓名 (xìngmíng), which means full name including the surname.
名字 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
名 míng · name · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
字 zì · letter · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 名字.
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 汉字 | Hànzì | Chinese character(s) |
| 名单 | míngdān | list of names |
| 数字 | shùzì | numeral; digit |
| 姓名 | xìngmíng | surname and given name; full name |
| 名称 | míngchēng | name (of a thing); name (of an organization) |
| 报名 | bàomíng | to sign up; to enter one's name |
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a |
| 文字 | wénzì | character; script |
| 排名 | páimíng | to rank (1st, 2nd etc); ranking |
| 著名 | zhùmíng | famous; noted |
| 字母 | zìmǔ | letter (of the alphabet) |
Questions about 名字
What does 名字 mean?
名字 (míngzi) means "name (of a person or thing)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 名字?
名字 is made of 2 characters: 名 (6 strokes), 字 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 名字 an HSK word?
Yes. 名字 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 名字 include the family name?
It can. In casual speech 名字 may mean the full name or only the given name, depending on context. If you want to be clear about the full name, use 姓名 (xìngmíng).
Is 你叫什么名字 polite enough to ask an older person?
It is fine with peers and children, but it can sound a little direct with elders or in formal settings. A more polite option is 您贵姓？(Nín guìxìng?), which asks for their surname.