闻名遐迩 (wén míng xiá ěr) — to be known far and wide; to enjoy widespread renown

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'famous far and wide', emphasizing extremely broad reach. Use it for people, places, or institutions whose reputation has spread widely — stronger than 著名, which is a neutral everyday 'famous'.

idiom
to be known far and wideto enjoy widespread renown

Examples

  • 闻名遐迩，。
    Zhè wèi kē xué jiā wén míng xiá ěr, tā de yán jiū chéng guǒ yǐng xiǎng shēn yuǎn.
    This scientist is known far and wide, and his research results have a profound impact.
  • 闻名遐迩，。
    Xī hú shì wén míng xiá ěr de lǚ yóu shèng dì, měi nián xī yǐn wú shù yóu kè.
    West Lake is a world-famous tourist destination, attracting countless visitors every year.
  • 闻名遐迩，。
    Zhè jiā lǎo zì hào cān guǎn wén míng xiá ěr, hěn duō rén zhuān chéng lái pǐn cháng.
    This time-honored restaurant enjoys widespread renown, and many people come specially to taste its food.

Origin

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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