表扬

• Pinyin: biǎo yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 表 = 衣 (clothing) + 毛 (fur), originally 'outer garment', extended to 'express'; 扬 = 扌(hand) + 昜 (phonetic, rise)

Meaning

To praise; to commend. Used when publicly or formally recognising someone's good behaviour or achievement.

Often used in schools, workplaces, and official settings where praise is given publicly. Compared to 夸, which is casual praise, 表扬 carries a more formal and official tone. Can also function as a noun meaning 'commendation' or 'praise'.

Examples

1. 老师在全班同学面前表扬了他的进步。 The teacher praised his improvement in front of the whole class.
2. 她因为工作表现出色，受到了经理的表扬。 She received praise from the manager for her outstanding work performance.
3. 父母应该多表扬孩子，让他们更有信心。 Parents should praise their children more to build their confidence.

Usage Guide

Context: education, workplace, everyday

Tone: encouraging

Do Say

• 老师经常表扬认真学习的学生。(The teacher often praises students who study diligently.)
• 他受到了公司的表扬。(He received commendation from the company.)

Don't Say

• 对朋友说'我表扬你做饭好吃' (Don't use 表扬 for casual compliments between friends — use 夸 instead; 表扬 sounds overly formal in personal contexts)

Origin & History

表 means 'to express' or 'to show outwardly'; 扬 means 'to raise' or 'to spread'. Together they convey the idea of publicly raising someone up through praise.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal