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闻名 (wén míng) — to be well-known, to be famous

Definition

闻名 is the formal/written 'to be famous', typically used with a topic — 中国以长城闻名 (China is famous for the Great Wall). The everyday choice is 有名/出名.

verb
to be well-knownto be famous
Easily confused

Examples

  • 闻名。
    Huáng shān yǐ fēng jǐng yōu měi wén míng.
    Huangshan is famous for its beautiful scenery.
  • 闻名。
    Zhè wèi kē xué jiā de yán jiū zài xué shù jiè shí fēn wén míng.
    This scientist's research is very well-known in academic circles.
  • 闻名，。
    Zhè ge dì fāng wén míng quán qiú, měi nián dōu yǒu hěn duō yóu kè.
    This place is world-famous; every year there are many tourists.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

闻wénhear
名míngname/reputation

闻 (hear) and 名 (name/reputation): people hear the name, so it is renowned.

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 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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