名誉 (míng yù) — (noun) fame, reputation, honor; (adjective) hon… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

名誉 emphasizes one's reputation and social standing, often in a positive or honorable sense. Closer to 名气 (general fame) than 荣誉 (formal honor awarded for achievement), and broader than 声誉 (more about public/audited reputation).

noun

famereputationhonor

adjective

honoraryemeritus (for retired professors)

Examples

名誉。
Tā hěn kàn zhòng zì jǐ de míng yù.
He values his own reputation highly.
名誉。
Tā bèi shòu yǔ míng yù bó shì xué wèi.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate.
名誉。
Zhè jiàn shì yán zhòng sǔn hài le tā de míng yù.
This matter seriously damaged his reputation.

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míngreputation

誉yùpraise

名 and 誉 both point to reputation, giving the idea of fame and honor.

Characters in this word

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

夕口名

夕夕xīcrescent moon
口口kǒumouth

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

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 譽; 誉 is its simplified writing.

與言譽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

與

與yǔ譽yù

Same sound today

The traditional form 譽 puts 與 above 言 (say); 言 is the part about saying, and 與 provides the sound. The simplified 誉 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Abstract Concepts

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