TongTong
Sign in

名义 (míng yì) — (in) name; titular; nominal (as opposed to real); pretext; ostensible purpose

Definition

名义 means 'in name only' — a title or purpose that isn't real, often paired with 上 or 的. Contrast with 名字/名称/名, which are a person's or thing's actual name, and with 借口, which is an excuse for a personal action.

noun
(in) nametitularnominal (as opposed to real)pretextostensible purpose

Examples

  • 名义，。
    Tā zhǐ shì míng yì shàng de dǒng shì zhǎng, shí jì bù cān yù guǎn lǐ.
    He is only the chairman in name; he doesn't participate in management in reality.
  • 名义。
    Tā men yǐ kǎo chá de míng yì chū guó lǚ yóu le yí tàng.
    They went abroad for a trip under the pretext of an inspection.
  • 名义，。
    Zhè ge zǔ zhī suī rán shì cí shàn míng yì, qí shí shì wèi le yíng lì.
    Although this organization is charitable in name, it's actually for profit.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

名míngname
义yìmeaning

名 and 义 combine the stated name with the claimed meaning or purpose behind it.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.