姓 or 叫: Names

Chinese has two verbs for giving a name.

• 姓 (xìng) takes only the surname: 我姓王 (My surname is Wang). The polite way to ask is 您贵姓？ (May I ask your surname?). You answer with 我姓…, never with 我贵姓.
• 叫 (jiào) takes the full name or the given name: 我叫王明 (My name is Wang Ming). Use it in 你叫什么名字？ (What is your name?) and for the names of pets, shops and things: 我的狗叫小白.

Many people say both in one breath: 我姓王，叫王明. The surname always comes first in a Chinese name. 叫 can also mean 'to call someone something': 大家都叫我小明 (Everyone calls me Xiaoming). Tip: a surname on its own → 姓; a whole name, a nickname or 什么名字 → 叫.