Chinese word

立功

Pronunciation

Pinyinlì gōng

Meaning

  • verbdistinguish oneself

Example

他在救火活动中立功了。tā zài jiù huǒ huó dòng zhōng lì gōng le

He distinguished himself while helping put out the fire.

Illustration for 立功 (distinguish oneself)

More examples

他在战斗中立功，获得了荣誉勋章。tā zài zhàn dòu zhōng lì gōng huò dé le róng yù xūn zhāng

He distinguished himself in battle and received a medal of honor.

Core concept

Stand out by producing a result worthy of recognition.

Common phrases

  • 立功受奖lì gōng shòu jiǎng

    distinguish oneself and receive an award

  • 立功赎罪lì gōng shú zuì

    distinguish oneself to atone for one's crime

Similar words

建功jiàn gōng: Create notable merit through successful work on an important task.
立下功劳lì xià gōng láo: Establish clear credit through a specific achievement or deed.
有贡献yǒu gòng xiàn: Help a group or other people through actions or effort that bring benefits.

Definition in Chinese

通过在某件事上做出显著的贡献或成就，从而获得表扬、奖励或荣誉。tōng guò zài mǒu jiàn shì shàng zuò chū xiǎn zhù de gòng xiàn huò chéng jiù cóng ér huò dé biǎo yáng jiǎng lì huò róng yù

Word origin

The formation of 立功 (lìgōng, "distinguish oneself") is direct: 立 (lì, "establish") + 功 (gōng, "merit") expresses establishing a record of merit through action.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, it often gives praise a serious, achievement-focused tone, so it can sound too grand for an ordinary helpful act.

Opposites

Related words

  • 立功者lì gōng zhěperson who distinguishes oneselfnoun

Word lists with this word