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闻名于世 (wén míng yú shì) — world-famous; renowned throughout the world

Definition

An idiomatic way to say someone or something is 'world-famous' — 闻名 on its own means 'well-known', and 于世 ('in the world') widens it to global renown.

idiom
world-famousrenowned throughout the world

Examples

  • 闻名于世，。
    Zhōng guó de cháng chéng wén míng yú shì, měi nián dōu yǒu hěn duō wài guó yóu kè lái cān guān.
    China's Great Wall is world-famous, and many foreign tourists come to visit every year.
  • 闻名于世，。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de běi jīng kǎo yā wén míng yú shì, hěn duō měi shí jiā tè yì lái pǐn cháng.
    This restaurant's Peking duck is world-famous — many foodies come specifically to taste it.
  • 闻名于世，。
    Tā de yì shù zuò pǐn wén míng yú shì, zài duō gè guó jiā zhǎn chū guò.
    His artworks are world-famous; they have been exhibited in many countries.

Origin

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 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

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 →

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 世 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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