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名正言顺 (míng zhèng yán shùn) — perfectly justified and logical; (idiom) with proper justification, one can proceed smoothly

Definition

A formal idiom meaning one's title and reasoning are both in order, so action is fully justified. Common in written or argumentative contexts (e.g. legal, official, decision-making).

idiom
perfectly justified and logicalwith proper justificationone can proceed smoothly

Examples

  • ，名正言顺。
    Zuò wéi xiàng mù fù zé rén, tā zuò jué cè shì míng zhèng yán shùn de.
    As the project leader, his decisions are perfectly justified.
  • ，名正言顺。
    Nǐ jì rán shì bān zhǎng, guǎn jì lǜ jiù míng zhèng yán shùn le.
    Since you are the class monitor, it's perfectly justified for you to enforce discipline.
  • ，名正言顺。
    Gǔ dōng dà huì shàng, tā míng zhèng yán shùn dì tí chū le zhěng gǎi fāng àn.
    At the shareholders' meeting, he put forward the restructuring plan with proper justification.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

名正name is proper
名míngname正zhèngproper
主谓Subject + predicate
言顺words are smooth
言yánwords顺shùnsmooth
主谓Subject + predicate

名正 (name is proper) and 言顺 (words are smooth) together mean justified.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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 順; 顺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān順shùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 順 pairs 川 (river), which gives the sound, with 頁 (head); the picture is a head in a river, following the current. The simplified 顺 is a shorthand.

Open 顺 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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