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留名 (liú míng) — to leave a good reputation, to be remembered for one's achievements (in history or a field)

Definition

Literary/formal verb meaning to leave a lasting reputation through one's achievements — used in writing about history or lasting fame, not everyday conversation.

verb
to leave a good reputation, to be remembered for one's achievements (in history or a field)

Examples

  • 留名。
    Tā xiǎng zài lì shǐ shàng liú míng.
    He wants to leave a good name in history.
  • 。
    Tā zài nà chǎng bǐ sài lǐ liú le hǎo míng.
    He left a good reputation in that competition.
  • 留名。
    Tā zuò de měi yí jiàn shì dōu shì wèi le liú míng.
    Everything he does is to leave a good reputation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

留liúleave
名míngname

留 (leave) + 名 (name) means to leave one's name behind in history.

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
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
卯
卯mǎo留liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

留 combines 田 (field) with 卯, which gives the sound.

Open 留 →

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 →
Appears in
Success & Failure

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