请问

qǐngwèn

May I ask...

Excuse me, could you tell me...

请 "please," "to invite," or "to request"

问 "to ask," "to inquire"

请问 = "please + ask"

贵姓

guìxìng

your honorable surname

贵 "valuable," "precious," or "noble"

姓 "surname" or "family name"

名字

míngzi

name

名 "to name" or "reputation"; later specialized to mean one's personal name

字 character, word; in ancient China, it could also mean a courtesy name;

It combines the idea of a person’s spoken name (名) with its written form (字)

小姐

xiǎojiě

“little older sister”

Miss

女士

nǚshì

姑娘

gūniang

“young lady”

(polite and safe)

什么

shénme

what

 什 (shí/shén) ten

么 a particle used for questions or emphasis

什 lost its "ten" meaning here and was repurposed for its sound (shén), similar to how English "what" evolved from Old English hwæt;

 什么 emerged as a fusion of 什 (interrogative sound) + 么 (question particle), shedding their original meanings to specialize as "what."

先生

xiānshēng

"born earlier" or "elder"

Mr.

先 "first," "prior," or "earlier"

生 "birth," "life," or "to be born"

Together, they emphasize respect for someone of higher status, age, or knowledge

老师

lǎoshī

teacher

老 originally means "old" but carries connotations of wisdom, seniority, and experience

师 "master," "teacher," or "specialist."

Combining 老 (experienced) with 师 (master) emphasizes that a teacher is a venerated expert with deep knowledge

学生

xuésheng

student

学生 "A person who learns" or "one who studies."

学 "to learn," "study," or "knowledge"

生 "birth," "life," or "to be born"; in compound

words, it often refers to a person associated with a certain role; Here, 生 implies "a person engaged in an activity"

英国

Yīngguó

法国

Fàguó

德国

Déguó

日本

Rìběn

Japan

"Origin of the Sun"

日 "sun" or "day"

本 "origin," "root," or "base"

韩国

Hánguó

加拿大

Jiānádà

墨西哥

Mòxīgē

印度

Yìndù

越南

Yuènán

加州

Jiāzhōu

夏威夷

Xiàwēiyí

上海

Shànghǎi

姓氏

xìngshì

surname

ancestral roots

姓 person's surname or family name

氏 clan name or lineage name