Words & Speech
名實相符
명실상부
míng shí xiāng fú
Myeong-sil-sang-bu
名
이름 명
實
열매 실
相
서로 상
符
맞을 부
Character by character
Meaning
Name and reality matching each other.
Origin
From pre-Qin debates on the relation between names and the things they denote.
How it is used
Used when a title or reputation is matched by actual ability.
Hanja名實相符
Simplified名实相符
Korean reading명실상부
Pinyinmíng shí xiāng fú
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Myeong-sil-sang-bu mean?
名實相符 · Name and reality matching each other.
Q. Where does Myeong-sil-sang-bu come from?
From pre-Qin debates on the relation between names and the things they denote.
Q. How is Myeong-sil-sang-bu used?
Used when a title or reputation is matched by actual ability.
Idioms in the same group
言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.一言之下 Il-eon-ji-haSettled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.
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.