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大庭广众 (dà tíng guǎng zhòng) — in public; in front of a crowd

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'in public, in front of many people,' stressing a large crowd is watching. Always used to frame a scene (在∼之下 / 之中), not as a subject on its own.

idiom
in publicin front of a crowd

Examples

  • 大庭广众，。
    Tā jū rán zài dà tíng guǎng zhòng zhī xià dà shēng chàng gē, yì diǎn dōu bú hài xiū.
    He actually sang loudly in front of so many people, not shy at all.
  • 大庭广众，。
    Zài dà tíng guǎng zhòng zhī zhōng bèi pī píng, tā jué de fēi cháng diū liǎn.
    Being criticized in such a public setting, he felt very embarrassed.
  • 大庭广众，。
    Zhè zhǒng huà bú shì hé zài dà tíng guǎng zhòng shuō, zán men sī xià liáo.
    This kind of talk isn't suitable for public; let's discuss it in private.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

大庭large court/public place
大dàlarge庭tíngcourt
偏正Modifier + head
广众broad crowd
广guǎngbroad众zhòngcrowd
偏正Modifier + head

大庭 is a large open court, and 广众 is a broad crowd, together meaning in public before many people.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
廷
廷tíng庭tíng
Same sound today

庭 combines 广 with 廷. The 廷 part gives the sound, and 广 is the meaning part.

Open 庭 →

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 廣; 广 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng廣guǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廣 combines 广 (meaning part) with 黃 (sound part); the simplified 广 is a later shorthand, not the full historical shape.

Open 广 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 眾; 众 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 眾 shows three people under a sun-like shape, meaning a crowd gathered under the sun; the simplified 众 is a later shorthand.

Open 众 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSociety & Public Life

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