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家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo) — (idiom) widely known to every household, a household name; universally recognized; well-known to all

Definition

Idiom meaning 'known by every household' — emphasizes wide, grassroots fame across all of society. Stronger and more vivid than 众所周知, which is a more neutral 'as everyone knows'.

idiom
widely known to every householda household name
phrase
universally recognizedwell-known to all

Examples

  • 家喻户晓，。
    Tā de dà míng jiā yù hù xiǎo, lián xiǎo hái zi dōu zhī dào.
    His name is a household name; even children know it.
  • 家喻户晓，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō zài zhōng guó jiā yù hù xiǎo, jī hū rén shǒu yī cè.
    This novel is a household name in China; almost everyone owns a copy.
  • ，家喻户晓。
    Suī rán zhè ge pǐn pái zài guó wài hěn chū míng, dàn zài guó nèi bìng bù jiā yù hù xiǎo.
    Although this brand is famous abroad, it isn't a household name domestically.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

家喻households understand
家jiāhousehold喻yùunderstand
主谓Subject + predicate
户晓households know
户hùhousehold晓xiǎoknow
主谓Subject + predicate

家 and 户 both mean households, while 喻 and 晓 mean understand and know.

Characters in this word

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
俞
俞yú喻⁰yù
Same sound today

喻 pairs 口 (mouth) with 俞, which gives its sound.

Open 喻 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戶; 户 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 戶 is a picture of half of a gate. The simplified 户 is a later shorthand, so its shape should not be read as the original parts.

Open 户 →

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 曉; 晓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo曉xiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 曉 puts 日, a sun, beside 堯, which gives the sound; the simplified 晓 is a shorthand and its right side is not that sound part.

Open 晓 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set Phrases

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