赞扬

• Pinyin: zàn yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 赞 = to commend; 扬 = 扌+ 昜 (to lift/publicise)

Meaning

To praise; to commend; to speak highly of. To publicly or explicitly extol the virtues, achievements, or conduct of a person or thing.

More explicit and often more public than 赞许. Common in speeches, official statements, news reports, and formal feedback. 受到赞扬 (to receive praise), 大力赞扬 (to vigorously commend). Frequently used in educational and official contexts to motivate or acknowledge.

Examples

1. 校长在全体师生大会上赞扬了三名见义勇为的同学，号召全校向他们学习。 At the all-school assembly, the principal praised three students who acted courageously to help others and called on everyone to learn from them.
2. 这部纪录片因真实记录了普通劳动者的奋斗历程而受到社会各界的广泛赞扬。 This documentary received widespread praise from all sectors of society for truthfully capturing the struggles of ordinary workers.
3. 领导赞扬了团队在极端条件下圆满完成任务的顽强精神与高度专业素养。 The leader praised the team’s toughness and high level of professionalism in successfully completing the mission under extreme conditions.

Usage Guide

Context: official speeches, education, media, workplace recognition

Tone: positive/motivating

Do Say

• 市长在新闻发布会上赞扬了消防员们不顾个人安危、奋力救援的英勇行为。(The mayor praised the firefighters at the press conference for their courageous rescue efforts, disregarding personal safety.)
• 老师赞扬了全班同学团结协作、按时完成项目的认真态度。(The teacher commended the entire class for their cooperative spirit and diligence in completing the project on time.)

Don't Say

• 赞扬他的失败 — 赞扬 presupposes a positive quality or achievement; using it with failures or faults is contradictory; use 肯定 if acknowledging effort despite failure

Origin & History

赞 (to commend) + 扬 (to lift up/publicise)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal