成名作 (chéng míng zuò) — a seminal work that brings a writer, artist, or composer to fame; breakout work
Definition
成名作 is the work that first made its creator famous — a 'breakout' or 'signature hit' piece, not necessarily the best work. It pairs with the verb 一举成名 ('become famous overnight').
noun
a seminal work that brings a writerartistor composer to famebreakout work
Examples
- 成名作。Tā de dì yī běn xiǎo shuō chéng le tā de chéng míng zuò.His first novel became his breakout work.
- 成名作,。Zhè bù diàn yǐng shì dǎo yǎn de chéng míng zuò, ràng tā yì jǔ chéng míng.This film was the director's seminal work that made him famous overnight.
- 成名作。Xǔ duō yì shù jiā yì shēng zhǐ yǒu yí bù chéng míng zuò.Many artists only have one seminal work in their lifetime.
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