命名

• Pinyin: mìng míng
• Hanzi breakdown: 命 = 人 (person) + 叩 (knock) + 口 (mouth) — to issue a decree with authority; 名 = 夕 (evening) + 口 (mouth) — calling one's name

Meaning

To name; to give a name to. The act of officially assigning a designation to a person, place, discovery, or concept.

Used in formal, scientific, and official contexts — naming geographic features, scientific discoveries, spacecraft, companies, or products. 命名权 (naming rights) is a commercial concept. More formal than the everyday 取名.

Examples

1. 这颗新发现的行星被命名为远征一号，以纪念此次探测任务的成功。 The newly discovered planet was named 'Expedition-1' to commemorate the success of this exploration mission.
2. 学校的报告厅以一位杰出校友的名字命名，以表彰其对学校的卓越贡献。 The school named its auditorium after an outstanding alumnus to recognize his exceptional contributions to the school.
3. 科学家对这种新型病毒进行了正式命名，并向国际医学期刊发布了相关研究报告。 Scientists officially named this new type of virus and published the relevant research report in an international medical journal.

Usage Guide

Context: science, official, business, culture

Tone: formal, official

Do Say

• 这座新建的图书馆被正式命名为城市文化中心，即日起向市民免费开放。(The newly built library was officially named the City Cultural Centre and is open to residents free of charge from today.)
• 以科学家的名字为化学元素或天体命名是国际科学界长期以来沿用的惯例之一。(Naming chemical elements or celestial bodies after scientists is one of the long-standing traditions in the international scientific community.)

Don't Say

• 把'命名'和'取名'混用 (命名 is more formal and often denotes an official or institutional act; 取名 is casual and used for naming children, pets, or things informally)

Origin & History

命 (to order, to decree; to destine) + 名 (name). Literally 'to decree a name,' i.e., the act of officially naming something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal