Object.MemberwiseClone Method in C# with Examples

Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025

Object.MemberwiseClone Method is used to create a shallow copy or make clone of the current Object. Shallow copy is a bit-wise copy of an object. In this case, a new object is created and that object has an exact copy of the existing object. Basically, this method copies the non-static fields of the current object to the new object.

If a field is a reference type, then the only reference is copied not the referred object. So here, the cloned object and the original object will refer to the same object.
If the field is value type then the bit-by-bit copy of the field will be performed.

Syntax:

protected object MemberwiseClone ();

Returns: This method returns a Object, which is the shallow copy of existing Object. Example 1:

csharp

// C# program to clone a object // using MemberwiseClone() method using System; class GFG1 {  public int val;  public GFG1(int val)  {  this.val = val;  }   } class GFG2 {  public GFG1 gg;  public GFG2(int val)  {  // copy the reference of GFG1 to gg  this.gg = new GFG1(val);   }  // method for cloning  public GFG2 Clone()  {  // return cloned value using  // MemberwiseClone() method  return ((GFG2)MemberwiseClone());    } } // Driver Code class Geek {  // Main Method  public static void Main()  {  // object of Class GFG2 with a value 3  GFG2 g = new GFG2(3);    // calling Clone()  // &quot;cc&quot; has the reference of Clone()  GFG2 cc = g.Clone();    // accessing the main value  Console.WriteLine(&quot;Value: &quot; + g.gg.val);    // accessing the cloned value  Console.WriteLine(&quot;cloned value: &quot; + cc.gg.val);    // set a new value   // in variable &quot;val&quot;  cc.gg.val = 6;    // accessing the main value  Console.WriteLine(&quot;\nValue: &quot; + g.gg.val);    // accessing the cloned value  Console.WriteLine(&quot;cloned value: &quot; + cc.gg.val);    } }

Output:

Value: 3 cloned value: 3 Value: 6 cloned value: 6

Example 2:

csharp

// C# program to demonstrate the  // MemberwiseClone() method using System; public class GFG : ICloneable {  // data members  public string Name;  public string Surname;  public int Age;  // constructor  public GFG(string name,   string title, int age)  {  Name = name;  Surname = title;  Age = age;  }  // method for cloning  public object Clone()  {  // return cloned value using  // MemberwiseClone() method  return MemberwiseClone();   }  public override string ToString()  {  return string.Format(&quot;Name = {0}, Surname = {1}, Age {2}&quot;,  Name, Surname, Age);  } } // Driver Class public class MainClass {  // Main Method  public static void Main()  {  GFG g = new GFG(&quot;ABC&quot;, &quot;XYZ&quot;, 26);  // calling Clone()  // &quot;cg&quot; has reference of Clone()  GFG cg = (GFG)g.Clone();    Console.WriteLine(&quot;For Old values\nOriginal :&quot;);  Console.WriteLine(g);  Console.WriteLine(&quot;Cloned :&quot;);  Console.WriteLine(cg);  Console.WriteLine(&quot;\nAfter assigning new values&quot;);  g.Name = &quot;LMN&quot;;  g.Surname = &quot;QRS&quot;;  g.Age = 13;  Console.WriteLine(&quot;Original :&quot;);  Console.WriteLine(g);  Console.WriteLine(&quot;Cloned :&quot;);  // prints the old cloned value  Console.WriteLine(cg);    } }

Output:

For Old values Original : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26 Cloned : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26 After assigning new values Original : Name = LMN, Surname = QRS, Age 13 Cloned : Name = ABC, Surname = XYZ, Age 26

Reference: