指名 (zhǐ míng) — to name (someone), to mention by name

Definition

指名 means 'to name (someone)' — calling them out by name, especially to single them out for praise, criticism, or a task. Often used in formal contexts like meetings or classrooms.

verb
to name (someone)to mention by name
Easily confused

Examples

  • 指名。
    Lǎo shī zhǐ míng ràng wǒ huí dá wèn tí.
    The teacher named me to answer the question.
  • 。
    Tā zhǐ míng pī píng le nà ge yuán gōng.
    He criticized that employee by name.
  • ，。
    Huì yì shàng, tā zhǐ le wǒ de míng.
    At the meeting, he named me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

指zhǐpoint
名míngname

指 means to point or mention, and 名 is name; together they mean to mention someone by name.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 →

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