Chinese word

名誉

Pronunciation

Pinyinmíng yù

Meaning

  • nounhonor

Example

他很在意自己的名誉。tā hěn zài yì zì jǐ de míng yù

He cares a lot about his honor.

Illustration for 名誉 (honor)

More examples

为了维护名誉，他决定起诉诽谤者。wèi le wéi hù míng yù tā jué dìng qǐ sù fěi bàng zhě

To protect his honor, he decided to sue the person who defamed him.

Core concept

A social measure attached to a person's name, rising with praise and falling when respect is lost.

Common phrases

  • 维护名誉wéi hù míng yù

    protect one's honor

  • 捍卫名誉hàn wèi míng yù

    defend one's honor

  • 失去名誉shī qù míng yù

    lose one's honor

  • 名誉受损míng yù shòu sǔn

    one's honor is damaged

Similar words

荣誉róng yù: An official honor given for notable work or service.
名声míng shēng: The public fame that comes from being widely known.
声誉shēng yù: Good social or professional standing built on trust.
面子miàn zi: The sense of dignity and pride a person must preserve before others.

Definition in Chinese

指个人因被他人尊重或赞扬而形成的社会评价与荣誉，既包含良好声望也涉及个人的体面。zhǐ gè rén yīn bèi tā rén zūn zhòng huò zàn yáng ér xíng chéng de shè huì píng jià yǔ róng yù jì bāo hán liáng hǎo shēng wàng yě shè jí gè rén de tǐ miàn

Word origin

名誉 (míngyù, "honor") joins 名 (míng, "name") and 誉 (yù, "praise") to connect a person's name with the praise that gives it social value.

Usage tips

  • This noun has a more formal and serious tone than many everyday English choices, so it often appears in discussions of public standing, accusations, or damage to a person's name.

Other meanings

  • famenoun
  • glorynoun
  • reputationnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 名誉权míng yù quánright to reputationnoun
  • 名誉会长míng yù huì zhǎnghonorary presidentnoun

Word lists with this word