歌功颂德 (gē gōng sòng dé) — to sing the praises of (someone) excessively or sycophantically; to engage in flattery and eulogy

Definition

A four-character idiom (chengyu) meaning to flatter someone with excessive, sycophantic praise — almost always negative in tone, unlike genuine 赞美 or 表扬.

idiom
to sing the praises of (someone) excessively or sycophanticallyto engage in flattery and eulogy

Examples

  • 歌功颂德，。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng tōng piān dōu zài gē gōng sòng dé, méi yǒu rèn hé pī píng.
    This article is full of sycophantic praise, with no criticism at all.
  • 歌功颂德，。
    Tā zhī xǐ huan tīng gē gōng sòng dé de huà, tīng bú jìn bù tóng yì jiàn.
    He only likes to hear flattering words and can't accept different opinions.
  • 歌功颂德。
    Zhè zhǒng gē gōng sòng dé de fēng qì zài guān chǎng shàng hěn cháng jiàn.
    This kind of sycophantic atmosphere is very common in official circles.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

歌功sing merit
歌gēsing功gōngmerit
动宾Verb + object
颂德praise virtue
颂sòngpraise德dévirtue
动宾Verb + object

歌功 and 颂德 run side by side, praising merit and virtue.

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
欠欠qiànblow
Sound part声符shēngfú
哥
哥gē歌gē
Same sound today

The shape 歌 uses 哥 for the sound and 欠, meaning blow. It came from a form of 哥 used for singing.

Open 歌 →

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
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

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 頌; 颂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng頌sòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頌 pairs 公 for the sound with 頁, meaning head.

Open 颂 →

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
彳彳chìroad
Sound part声符shēngfú
惪
惪dé德dé
Same sound today

德 combines 彳, a road, with 惪, a component meaning virtue that also supplies the sound.

Open 德 →

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