<p>From my answer to this question: <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/31395/why-is-there-such-a-difference-between-first-name-and-last-name">Why is there such a difference between &quot;first name&quot; and &quot;last name&quot;?</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;你姓什么?&quot; - the noun '姓' here is acting like a verb (is family-named)</p>
<p>.......</p>
<p>We only use 名字 as a noun, therefore we need a verb '是'(is) or '叫'(called) when asking what is someone's name. e.g. &quot;你的名字是什么&quot; or &quot;你的名字叫什么&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When you say &quot;我姓李&quot;, the word &quot;姓&quot; is acting like a verb</p>
<p>&quot;我[姓]李&quot; = &quot;I [am family-named] Lee&quot;</p>
<p>When you say 我名字叫李小龍, 名字 cannot only be treated as a noun, not a verb, therefore you need to add a verb '是'(is) or '叫'(called)</p>
<p>From another related post: <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36692/what-happens-when-you-use-the-individual-characters-in-%e5%a7%93%e6%b0%8f-and-%e5%90%8d%e5%ad%97">What happens when you use the individual characters in 姓氏 and 名字?</a>*</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>曹操 Cao Cao</p>
<p>姓:曹 (is last-named: Cao)</p>
<p>名:操 (is first-named:Cao)</p>
<p>字:孟德 (is courtesy-named: Meng Deo)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When you use just 名 instead of 名字 , you can omit &quot;叫&quot; and treat &quot;名&quot; like a verb, and say  &quot;我姓曹名操&quot;  instead of &quot;我姓曹, 名字叫操&quot;</p>
<p>The reason for omitting &quot;叫&quot; is: &quot;名&quot; (is first-named) already acting as a verb, the verb &quot;叫&quot; (is called) is redundant</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-05T03:37:26.247Z
If you wish to formally introduce yourself, it's -- 我名字和姓氏是。。。。。（姓氏 means family / clan name)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-05T15:06:11.523Z
So, can I say 我名操?
IC_
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-05T19:58:34.660Z
No, 姓曹名操 have to be together.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-04T18:16:52.710Z
2020-03-04T18:36:08.643Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>Examples:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我姓李。</p>
<p>我名字叫张。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why not 我姓叫李?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-04T13:20:45.920Z
Not a Chinese answer, but you actually get the same idea in English. “I am called John”, “My surname is Smith”. Not, “My surname is called Smith”.
dROOOze
<grammar>
Why is 名字 used with 叫, but 姓 isn't?
# Why is 名字 used with 叫, but 姓 isn't?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-04)

Examples:

> 我姓李。
>
> 我名字叫张。

Why not 我姓叫李?

**Tags:** grammar
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not a Chinese answer, but you actually get the same idea in English. “I am called John”, “My surname is Smith”. Not, “My surname is called Smith”.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-03-04. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

From my answer to this question: [Why is there such a difference between "first name" and "last name"?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/31395/why-is-there-such-a-difference-between-first-name-and-last-name)

> "你姓什么?" - the noun '姓' here is acting like a verb (is family-named)
>
> .......
>
> We only use 名字 as a noun, therefore we need a verb '是'(is) or '叫'(called) when asking what is someone's name. e.g. "你的名字是什么" or "你的名字叫什么"

When you say "我姓李", the word "姓" is acting like a verb

"我[姓]李" = "I [am family-named] Lee"

When you say 我名字叫李小龍, 名字 cannot only be treated as a noun, not a verb, therefore you need to add a verb '是'(is) or '叫'(called)

From another related post: [What happens when you use the individual characters in 姓氏 and 名字?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36692/what-happens-when-you-use-the-individual-characters-in-%e5%a7%93%e6%b0%8f-and-%e5%90%8d%e5%ad%97)\*

> For example:
>
> 曹操 Cao Cao
>
> 姓:曹 (is last-named: Cao)
>
> 名:操 (is first-named:Cao)
>
> 字:孟德 (is courtesy-named: Meng Deo)

When you use just 名 instead of 名字 , you can omit "叫" and treat "名" like a verb, and say "我姓曹名操" instead of "我姓曹, 名字叫操"

The reason for omitting "叫" is: "名" (is first-named) already acting as a verb, the verb "叫" (is called) is redundant

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: If you wish to formally introduce yourself, it's -- 我名字和姓氏是。。。。。（姓氏 means family / clan name)  
> **username_0**: So, can I say 我名操?  
> **username_2**: No, 姓曹名操 have to be together.  

---

