nee

IPA/neɪ/
KK[nˈi]IPA/neɪ/

nee — adjective

  • neepositive
  • neeercomparative
  • neeestsuperlative

1. used right after a married woman's full name to show what her original family su

1.形容詞C1
釋義

used right after a married woman's full name to show what her original family surname was before she got married — for example, writing 'Iris Santoro, nee Bellini' tells the reader that her birth surname was Bellini.

例句

Yasmin Chen, nee Wang, opened a small bookstore in Taipei last spring.

standard pattern: [married name] + nee + [maiden name]

The letter was signed by Iris Santoro, nee Bellini, from Rome.

同義詞
  • born

    more common in everyday English ('Anna Chen, born Wang'); sounds less formal than nee

  • formerly

    broader in use — can refer to any previous name, not just a birth surname

文法句型

[married name] + nee + [maiden surname]

用法筆記

Always placed immediately after the married surname, never before it. The word is primarily used in writing — in obituaries, wedding announcements, formal biographies, and official documents. Some modern speakers consider it old-fashioned and prefer the phrase 'born' instead (e.g. 'Sarah Zhang, born Li').

常見錯誤

❌Mr. Chen, nee Wang
✅Mrs. Chen, nee Wang
💡nee refers only to a woman's birth surname; it is not used for men.
❌Nee Wang, Mrs. Chen
✅Mrs. Chen, nee Wang
💡nee must come after the married name, not before it.
❌Iris Santoro, nee Bellini, was born Bellini
✅Iris Santoro, nee Bellini
💡the nee phrase already states the birth name; adding 'was born' is redundant.