有名无实 (yǒu míng wú shí) — in name only; nominal; titular

Definition

An idiom meaning something has the title or label of X but no real substance or function behind it — like a 'CEO in name only'. Sets it up as a four-character 成语 evaluation, not a neutral description.

idiom
in name onlynominaltitular

Examples

  • 有名无实，。
    Zhè ge gōng sī de zǒng jīng lǐ qí shí yǒu míng wú shí, zhēn zhèng de jué cè quán dōu zài dǒng shì zhǎng shǒu lǐ.
    This company's general manager is actually nominal; real decision-making power is in the hands of the chairman.
  • “”有名无实，。
    Xǔ duō suǒ wèi de "zhuān jiā wěi yuán huì" dōu shì yǒu míng wú shí, gēn běn méi yǒu shí jì zuò yòng.
    Many so-called 'expert committees' are nominal, with no real function at all.
  • 有名无实。
    Zhè zhǒng yǒu míng wú shí de hé zuò guān xì bú huì yǒu rèn hé chéng guǒ.
    This kind of nominal partnership will not produce any results.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

有名have a name
有yǒuhave名míngname
动宾Verb + object
无实lack substance
无wúlack实shísubstance
动宾Verb + object

有名 and 无实 stand side by side: having a name but lacking real substance.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

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