TongTong
Sign in

声名 (shēng míng) — reputation, fame

Definition

声名 (shēngmíng) means 'reputation' or 'fame', usually of a person, group, or institution. It typically appears in fixed phrases like 声名远扬 ('far-famed') or 声名狼藉 ('notorious').

noun
reputationfame

Examples

  • 声名。
    Tā zài xué shù jiè shēng míng hěn hǎo.
    He has a good reputation in academia.
  • 声名，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā shēng míng yuǎn yáng, zuò pǐn bèi fān yì chéng duō zhǒng yǔ yán.
    This writer's fame has spread far, and his works have been translated into many languages.
  • 声名。
    Bú yào wèi le zhuī qiú shēng míng ér shī qù zì wǒ.
    Don't lose yourself in the pursuit of fame.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

声shēngreputation
名míngname

声 and 名 both point to reputation, so together they mean fame.

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

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
Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.