Chinese word

闻名

Pronunciation

Pinyinwén míng

Meaning

  • verbbe famous

Example

他以写小说而闻名。tā yǐ xiě xiǎo shuō ér wén míng

He is famous for writing novels.

Illustration for 闻名 (be famous)

More examples

这座城市以美食闻名。zhè zuò chéng shì yǐ měi shí wén míng

This city is famous for its food.

Core concept

A person or thing becomes widely known through a quality, action, or achievement.

Common phrases

  • 以...闻名yǐ wén míng

    be famous for ___

  • 闻名遐迩wén míng xiá ěr

    be known far and wide

Similar words

出名chū míng: Become famous as more and more people learn about someone or something.
成名chéng míng: Become famous after gaining recognition through sustained effort or a work.

Definition in Chinese

因为某种特点或行为而被公众认识或称道；常与表示原因的短语连用。yīn wèi móu zhǒng tè diǎn huò xíng wéi ér bèi gōng zhòng rèn shí huò chēng dào cháng yǔ biǎo shì yuán yīn de duán yǔ lián yòng

Word origin

闻 (wén, "hear") + 名 (míng, "name") links hearing someone's name with the spread of a reputation based on a particular feature or deed.

Usage tips

  • English often says that someone is famous for something, while this Chinese pattern places the reason for the fame directly in the sentence.

Opposites

  • 名不见经传míng bú jiàn jīng zhuànbe obscureverb

Word lists with this word