Chinese word

座右铭

Pronunciation

Pinyinzuò yòu míng

Meaning

  • nounmotto

Example

我有一句座右铭，就是永不放弃。wǒ yǒu yí jù zuò yòu míng jiù shì yǒng bú fàng qì

I have a motto: never give up.

Illustration for 座右铭 (motto)

More examples

她的座右铭来源于父亲的一句话。tā de zuò yòu míng lái yuán yú fù qīn de yí jù huà

Her motto comes from something her father said.

Core concept

A compact line held mentally at one's side to steer daily behavior.

Common phrases

  • 我的座右铭wǒ de zuò yòu míng

    my motto

  • 座右铭来源于zuò yòu míng lái yuán yú

    motto comes from

  • 励志的座右铭lì zhì de zuò yòu míng

    inspirational motto

Similar words

名言míng yán: A famous brief saying known and repeated by many people.
格言gé yán: A concise saying that teaches a lesson about living or society.
警句jǐng jù: A concise, pointed saying that states a key idea sharply.
箴言zhēn yán: A brief, meaningful saying that gives guidance or cautions against mistakes.

Definition in Chinese

写在心里、经常提醒自己的短句，用作行为指南或生活信条。xiě zài xīn lǐ jīng cháng tí xǐng zì jǐ de duǎn jù yòng zuò xíng wéi zhǐ nán huò shēng huó xìn tiáo

Word origin

座右铭 (zuòyòumíng, "motto") joins the idea of something beside one's seat with that of an inscription, suggesting a saying kept nearby as a guide for life.

Usage tips

  • A useful conversational frame is 我的座右铭是 (wǒ de zuòyòumíng shì, "my motto is"), which introduces a personal principle before stating the line itself.

Other meanings

  • maximnoun

Word lists with this word