签名

• Pinyin: qiān míng
• Hanzi breakdown: 签 = 竹 + 佥, to sign; 名 = 夕 (evening) + 口 (mouth), name

Meaning

To sign one's name; signature; autograph. The act of writing one's name or the name itself.

Can be a verb (请签名 please sign) or noun (你的签名 your signature). Also refers to celebrity autographs: 签名会 (autograph session), 签名照 (signed photo). Digital context: 电子签名 (electronic signature).

Examples

1. 请在文件最后一页签名。 Please sign your name on the last page of the document.
2. 粉丝们排队等着明星签名。 Fans lined up waiting for the celebrity's autograph.
3. 他的签名非常有个性。 His signature is very distinctive.

Usage Guide

Context: documents, celebrities, identification

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 能帮我签个名吗？(Can you give me an autograph?)
• 文件需要你的亲笔签名。(The document requires your handwritten signature.)

Don't Say

• 签一个名给我。(Awkward word order — say 给我签个名 or 帮我签名)

Origin & History

签 (qiān, to sign) + 名 (míng, name). To sign one's name; the signed name.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal