默默无闻 (mò mò wú wén) — obscure and unknown; a nobody (idiom)

Definition

Set idiom for working or living 'in obscurity, without fame' — it describes a person or their life, not an unknown variable. Unlike 未知数, it never refers to a math 'unknown' or to something uncertain.

phrase

obscure and unknowna nobody (idiom)

Examples

默默无闻，。
Tā shì yí wèi mò mò wú wén de huà jiā, dàn tā de huà hěn yǒu jià zhí.
He is an obscure painter, but his paintings are very valuable.
默默无闻。
Hěn duō mò mò wú wén de zhì yuàn zhě wèi shè huì zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn.
Many unknown volunteers have made great contributions to society.
默默无闻，。
Tā mò mò wú wén dì gōng zuò le jǐ shí nián, cóng bú bào yuàn.
He worked in obscurity for decades, never complaining.

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.

黑犬默

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犬犬quǎndog

Sound part声符shēngfú

黑

黑hēi默mò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

默 pairs 黑 with 犬 (dog), and 黑 gives the sound.

Open 默 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

黑犬默

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犬犬quǎndog

Sound part声符shēngfú

黑

黑hēi默mò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

默 pairs 黑 with 犬 (dog), and 黑 gives the sound.

Open 默 →

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 →

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.

門耳聞

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 →