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顾名思义 (gù míng-sī yì) — as the name implies; as the term suggests

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'as the name suggests' — you use it to introduce what a name or title literally implies, before explaining the real situation.

phrase
as the name impliesas the term suggests

Examples

  • 顾名思义，，。
    gù míng-sī yì, Zhè zhǒng huā jiào xiàng rì kuí, zǒng shì cháo zhe tài yáng kāi fàng.
    As the name implies, this flower is called sunflower and always opens towards the sun.
  • ''，顾名思义，。
    Tā bèi chēng wéi ' xiǎo zhū gě ', gù míng-sī yì, tā fēi cháng cōng ming.
    He is called 'Little Zhuge', and as the name implies, he is very smart.
  • ''，顾名思义，。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng míng jiào ' wén xiāng lái ', gù míng-sī yì, fàn cài de xiāng wèi hěn yuǎn jiù néng wén dào.
    The restaurant is called 'Smell the Fragrance and Come'; as the name implies, the aroma of the food can be smelled from far away.

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 顧; 顾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
雇
雇gù顧gù
Same sound today

The traditional form 顧 combines 雇 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; 顾 is the simplified form of 顧.

Open 顾 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn思sī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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