WHOLE CHARACTER
姓
a family name; surname (姓名,贵姓); the common people (百姓,老百姓)
姓 is the family name: 姓名 'full name', 老百姓 'ordinary folks'.
ZDIC: 会意兼形声，从女、从生、生亦声 — 生 is both meaning and sound.
Character Familiesleft / right
姓
a family name; surname (姓名,贵姓); the common people (百姓,老百姓)
姓 is the family name: 姓名 'full name', 老百姓 'ordinary folks'.
GF0025–2021 character list · 二级One character pageAll readings and linked senses stay together.
WHOLE GLYPH & STRUCTURE
left / right
ZDIC: 会意兼形声，从女、从生、生亦声 — 生 is both meaning and sound.
MEANING: THE WOMAN SIDE (ZDIC 从女)
女
woman; female
Female/woman-related meaning clue.
In 姓: meaning: the woman side (ZDIC 从女) Family names trace to mothers in the old account.
SOUND-AND-MEANING SIDE: 生 (SHĒNG) — ZDIC: 生亦声
生
to be born; raw; a student
A standalone character; its sound side role in 星 shares the final and tone only (initial sh/x differs).
In 姓: sound-and-meaning side: 生 (shēng) — ZDIC: 生亦声 xìng only faintly echoes shēng — near palatal openings and -ng endings, tones differ; ZDIC treats 生 as both meaning and sound.
Tone 4
- a family name; surname (姓名,贵姓)
- the common people (百姓,老百姓)
- 姓名full name
- 百姓common people
- 老百姓ordinary folks
Checking for a Mandarin voice…