(chēng wéi) - to call, to be known as, to term in Mandarin
chēngwéiTraditional: 稱為
Translation
to call, to be known as, to term
Word origin
A compound of 称 (chēng, to call, to name) and 为 (wéi, to be, as), so literally to name as.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 称 (chēng, to name) + 为 (wéi, to be, as)
Stroke order
称
为
Examples
。
People call him a genius.
。
Beijing was formerly known as Beiping.
河河。
Local people call this river the mother river.
。
This practice can be called a waste.
。
That era is known as the golden age.
称为 (chēng wéi) is the formal verb for giving something a name or a label. It is what you meet in encyclopaedia entries, museum captions and history writing: 北京以前被称为北平.
Its grammar is fixed. The thing being named has to be moved out of the way first, either with 把 in an active sentence (人们把他称为天才) or with 被 in a passive one (他被称为天才). You cannot simply put two nouns after it.
The trap is using it for ordinary names. English "call" covers everything from 我叫王明 to "this is called a spanner", but Mandarin splits the job. Use 叫 for people and everyday objects, 叫做 for slightly more formal naming, and keep 称为 for titles, terms and epithets. Note also that 为 is read wéi here, second tone, not the wèi of 为什么.
Where this fits
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称为: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "称为" (to call, to be known as, to term): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 56.