小名 (xiǎo míng) — childhood nickname, pet name (used by family and close relatives)

Definition

小名 is the informal name given to a child by family, used at home or by close relatives — distinct from 名字, the formal name used in public and official settings.

noun
childhood nicknamepet name (used by family and close relatives)

Examples

  • 小名，。
    Tā de xiǎo míng jiào dòu dou, jiā lǐ rén dōu zhè me jiào tā.
    His childhood nickname is Doudou; everyone in the family calls him that.
  • ，小名。
    Suī rán zhǎng dà le, dàn nǎi nai hái shì jiào tā de xiǎo míng.
    Even though he's grown up, his grandmother still calls him by his childhood nickname.
  • 小名。
    Zhōng guó rén gěi hái zi qǔ xiǎo míng tōng cháng qǔ hǎo tīng yòu róng yì jiào de.
    Chinese people usually give their children childhood nicknames that are pleasant and easy to say.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

小xiǎosmall
名míngname

小 suggests intimacy or smallness, and 名 means name; together they give a child's pet name.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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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