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无名小卒 (wú míng xiǎo zú) — a nobody, an insignificant person

Definition

A four-character idiom for 'a nobody' — someone obscure and unimportant. Strongly self-deprecating, so it often signals false modesty or rhetorical contrast with later success.

noun
a nobodyan insignificant person

Examples

  • 无名小卒，。
    Tā yǐ qián zhǐ shì yí gè wú míng xiǎo zú, xiàn zài què chéng le dà míng xīng.
    He used to be just a nobody, but now he's become a big star.
  • ，无名小卒，。
    Zài zhè jiā gōng sī lǐ, wǒ bú guò shì gè wú míng xiǎo zú, méi rén zhù yì.
    In this company, I'm just a nobody — no one pays attention.
  • 无名小卒，。
    Bié bǎ zì jǐ dàng chéng wú míng xiǎo zú, nǐ hěn yǒu cái huá.
    Don't think of yourself as a nobody; you are very talented.

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.

无名nameless
无wúwithout名míngname
动宾Verb + object
小卒low soldier
小xiǎosmall卒zúsoldier
偏正Modifier + head

From 无名, without a name, and 小卒, a small soldier, it means an insignificant person.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 →

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.

Early forms of 卒 drew a completed piece of clothing, with a mark showing it was to be folded.

Open 卒 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPeople (General)

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