名 míng — name; (measure word for persons); place (e.g. among winners)
请在这里写下你的名字。Qǐng zài zhè lǐ xiě xià nǐ de míng zi.Please write your name here.
Common words: 名字 (míng zi)、有名 (yǒu míng)、名单 (míng dān)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "name"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "name", including 名 (míng), 贵 (guì), 姓 (xìng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "name" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 名 (míng), 贵 (guì), 姓 (xìng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span míng, guì, xìng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 名 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 名 míngname; (measure word for persons); place (e.g. among winners)Useful words: 名字, 有名
- 贵 guìexpensive; noble; your (name); preciousUseful words: 宝贵, 珍贵
- 姓 xìngsurname; family name; nameUseful words: 老百姓, 姓氏
Common words for these 3 "name" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 名 (míng) — so "name" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
名字míng ziname (of a person or thing)有名yǒu míngfamous; well-known名单míng dānlist of names宝贵bǎo guìvaluable; precious; to value; to treasure珍贵zhēn guìprecious贵族guì zúlord; nobility; nobleman; noblewoman老百姓lǎo bǎi xìngordinary people; the "person in the street"姓氏xìng shìfamily name种姓zhǒng xìngcaste (traditional Indian social division)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "name".
贵 guì — expensive; noble; your (name); precious
这家店的东西有点儿贵。Zhè jiā diàn de dōng xi yǒu diǎnr guì.The things in this shop are a bit expensive.
Common words: 宝贵 (bǎo guì)、珍贵 (zhēn guì)、贵族 (guì zú)
姓 xìng — surname; family name; name
请问您贵姓？Qǐng wèn nín guì xìng?May I ask your surname?
Common words: 老百姓 (lǎo bǎi xìng)、姓氏 (xìng shì)、种姓 (zhǒng xìng)
All 3 characters
Open 名、贵、姓 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.