成名作 (chéng míng zuò) — a seminal work that brings a writer, artist, or composer to fame; breakout work

Definition

成名作 is the work that first made its creator famous — a 'breakout' or 'signature hit' piece, not necessarily the best work. It pairs with the verb 一举成名 ('become famous overnight').

noun
a seminal work that brings a writer, artist, or composer to famebreakout work

Examples

  • 成名作。
    Tā de dì yī běn xiǎo shuō chéng le tā de chéng míng zuò.
    His first novel became his breakout work.
  • 成名作，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng shì dǎo yǎn de chéng míng zuò, ràng tā yì jǔ chéng míng.
    This film was the director's seminal work that made him famous overnight.
  • 成名作。
    Xǔ duō yì shù jiā yì shēng zhǐ yǒu yí bù chéng míng zuò.
    Many artists only have one seminal work in their lifetime.

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.

成名make a name
成chéngmake名míngname
动宾Verb + object
作zuòwork

成名 means to make a name, and 作 is the work that does it.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

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