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签名 (qiān míng) — (verb) to sign (one's name), to autograph; (noun) signature, autograph

Definition

签名 is everyday Chinese for 'signature' and 'to sign/autograph' — most common when asking a celebrity for an autograph or a casual sign-on. For formal/official documents, use 签订 or 签署.

verb
to sign (one's name)to autograph
noun
signatureautograph
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 签名。
    Qǐng zài zhè lǐ qiān míng.
    Please sign here.
  • ？
    Nǐ néng bāng wǒ qiān gè míng ma?
    Can you sign an autograph for me?
  • 签名，。
    Tā de qiān míng hěn liáo cǎo, wǒ kàn bù qīng chǔ.
    His signature is very messy; I can't read it clearly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

签qiānsign
名míngname

签 (sign) and 名 (name) combine to mean write one's 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 籤; 签 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 签 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (签, 签订) it is 簽; in others it is 籤.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
韱
韱xiān籤⁰qiān(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籤 shows 竹, bamboo, for the material, plus 韱 to give the sound; the simplified 签 is a later shorthand.

Open 签 →

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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