"我姓王。"
Translation:My last name is Wang.
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This is my 1st comment: this app is really helping me learn! My brain is hardwired in English but by writing out the characters using an artist's black pencil I'm slowly deciphering it all. Public comments are also very helpful! Taking it step by step and getting Stronger
姓 (xìng) is not a noun for "surname/last name", it is actually a verb meaning "to be surnamed". The sentence is literally "I am surnamed Wang." Here, it is easy to see there is no possessive in the sentence. But in English, we don't typically use the verb "to be surnamed"; our loose English translation presents with a possessive instead (MY last name is Wang).
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This may be true for casual conversation and the statement above but in polite or formal company we do ask "你贵姓？” meaning "(and) your surname is?" 贵 being an adjective rather than an adverb.
"De" only comes after it if its a possesive particle. Think of "de" as our "'s". We wouldnt say "my last name's".
there is nothing wrong or right in learning language. However, when we learn foreign language, we not only learn words or sentences but also learn the culture of them. Language is just simple a simulation.
i would like to point out that contrary of western culture, our family name(Surname) comes first followed by our given name. For example Will Smith. Will (Given Name) Smith (Surname). Since this is Chinese, I'll give a Chinese Example. Lee Wang Yu. Lee (Surname) Wang Yu (Given Name)
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It is just an example for the sentences. People have their own names other than "wang"
"姓" can be used as both. But it is mainly translated to "My given Name" so bascially you are correct :)
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"I am Wang" implies that the person's first name is Wang. 姓 refers specifically to a surname.
There are several colloquialisms that translate and Duolingo can only mark it right if they considered it ahead of time. They also phrase the lesson in the same manner several times giving you all the clues you need if getting each answer correct each time is important to you. I am trying to learn a language not get the high score.
