si1 maa5司馬司马

How it's used

Surnames like 司馬 are known as compound surnames, which consist of two characters instead of the usual one. They are relatively rare in Hong Kong and often carry a historical or literary connotation due to their association with famous figures in Chinese history. When addressing someone with this surname, it is important to treat both characters as the family name rather than assuming the first character is the surname and the second is a given name.