Myeong-bul-heo-jeon

名

이름 명

不

아닐 불

虛

빌 허

傳

전할 전

Character by character

Meaning

The reputation was not passed on in vain — it lives up to the name.

Origin

Used in Chinese classics including the Records of the Grand Historian, said when a famed skill proves real.

How it is used

The compliment you pay a much-hyped restaurant or an expert who turns out to deserve the praise.

Hanja名不虛傳

Simplified名不虚传

Korean reading명불허전

Pinyinmíng bù xū chuán

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does Myeong-bul-heo-jeon mean?

名不虛傳 · The reputation was not passed on in vain — it lives up to the name.

Q. Where does Myeong-bul-heo-jeon come from?

Used in Chinese classics including the Records of the Grand Historian, said when a famed skill proves real.

Q. How is Myeong-bul-heo-jeon used?

The compliment you pay a much-hyped restaurant or an expert who turns out to deserve the praise.

Idioms in the same group

有備無患 Yu-bi-mu-hwanIf you prepare in advance, there is nothing to worry about.易地思之 Yeok-ji-sa-jiThink about it after swapping places with the other person.初志一貫 Cho-ji-il-gwanCarry the resolve you started with all the way through, unchanged.靑出於藍 Cheong-chul-eo-ramThe blue drawn from the indigo plant is bluer than the plant — the student surpasses the teacher.大器晩成 Dae-gi-man-seongA great vessel takes long to finish — those destined for greatness succeed late.溫故知新 On-go-ji-sinStudy the old to understand the new.

The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.