qiānmíng: 签名 - Signature, Autograph, To Sign

• Keywords: qiānmíng, 签名, Chinese signature, how to sign in Chinese, autograph in Chinese, sign a document Chinese, sign your name in Chinese, qiānzì, Chinese chop, personal seal
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 签名 (qiānmíng), which means both signature and autograph. This comprehensive guide explains how to use `qiānmíng` when you sign a document, ask a celebrity for an autograph, or encounter digital signatures in China. We explore the cultural significance of signatures versus traditional seals (chops) and clarify the key difference between 签名 (qiānmíng) and its close relative, `签字 (qiānzì)`.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qiānmíng
• Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To sign one's name; a person's signature or autograph.
• In a Nutshell: `签名` is the most common and versatile word for “signature” in Chinese. It covers both the action of signing your name (a verb) and the result of that action (a noun). Whether you're signing a contract at a bank, a receipt for a delivery, or getting a movie star's autograph, `签名` is the word you need.

• 签 (qiān): This character's radical is `竹 (zhú)`, meaning “bamboo.” Historically, bamboo slips were used for writing, labeling, and drawing lots. So, `签` carries the core idea of a written label or mark, which evolved to mean “to sign.”
• 名 (míng): This character means “name.” It's a combination of `夕 (xī)`, meaning “evening” or “dusk,” and `口 (kǒu)`, meaning “mouth.” The ancient logic is that when it's dark, you can't see who someone is, so they have to call out their name with their mouth to be identified.
• The two characters combine literally and logically to mean “to sign (or mark) one's name.”

In Western cultures, a signature is the ultimate mark of personal identity on a document—a unique, often stylized flourish. While a handwritten 签名 (qiānmíng) is legally binding and common in modern China, there is a deep-rooted cultural alternative: the personal seal or “chop” (印章, yìnzhāng). For centuries, a person's red-inked seal was considered more official and harder to forge than a handwritten signature. It represented authority and identity. In Imperial China, official documents were validated by seals, not signatures. Today, this tradition continues. Major contracts, corporate documents, and official government papers will almost always require a company or personal seal to be stamped on them, often right next to or on top of the handwritten `签名`. For a beginner, this is a key cultural difference: in the West, the signature is supreme; in China, the signature often works in partnership with the traditional seal. The `签名` is the personal confirmation, while the `盖章 (gàizhāng)` - the act of stamping the seal - is the official, formal validation.

`签名` is an everyday word used in a variety of contexts, from highly formal to very casual.

• Formal & Business: This is the most common usage. You will be asked to `签名` on contracts (合同, hétong), bank forms (银行单, yínháng dān), and official applications. In this context, the request is often phrased as `请在这里签名` (qǐng zài zhèlǐ qiānmíng) - “Please sign here.”
• Everyday Life: When you receive a package, the delivery person will hand you a device or a slip of paper and say `签个名` (qiān ge míng) - “Sign your name.” You also `签名` on credit card receipts.
• Fame & Fandom: When referring to a celebrity's signature, `签名` is the correct word for “autograph.” You can ask a star, `可以给我一个签名吗?` (Kěyǐ gěi wǒ yīgè qiānmíng ma?) - “Can you give me an autograph?” A signed photo is a `签名照 (qiānmíng zhào)`.
• Digital Context: The term translates directly to the digital world as `电子签名 (diànzǐ qiānmíng)`, meaning “electronic/digital signature.”

• Example 1:
  • 请在合同的最后一页签名。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng zài hétong de zuìhòu yī yè qiānmíng.
  • English: Please sign on the last page of the contract.
  • Analysis: A very common and formal instruction in a business or legal context.
• Example 2:
  • 他是我的偶像，我想要他的签名。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì wǒ de ǒuxiàng, wǒ xiǎng yào tā de qiānmíng.
  • English: He is my idol, I want his autograph.
  • Analysis: Here, `签名` is used as a noun meaning “autograph.”
• Example 3:
  • 快递员让我在这儿签个名。
  • Pinyin: Kuàidìyuán ràng wǒ zài zhèr qiān ge míng.
  • English: The delivery guy asked me to sign here.
  • Analysis: A very common, daily-life scenario. `签个名` (qiān ge míng) is a slightly more colloquial way of saying “to sign.” The `个` acts as a measure word for the action.
• Example 4:
  • 这份文件需要您的亲笔签名。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn wénjiàn xūyào nín de qīnbǐ qiānmíng.
  • English: This document requires your handwritten signature.
  • Analysis: `亲笔 (qīnbǐ)` means “one's own handwriting,” adding emphasis that a physical, personal signature is needed, not a digital one or a seal.
• Example 5:
  • 很多粉丝在演唱会外面等签名。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō fěnsī zài yǎnchànghuì wàimiàn děng qiānmíng.
  • English: Many fans are waiting for autographs outside the concert.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates `签名` as a desirable object (autographs) that people wait for.
• Example 6:
  • 他的签名龙飞凤舞，我完全看不懂。
  • Pinyin: Tā de qiānmíng lóngfēifèngwǔ, wǒ wánquán kàn bù dǒng.
  • English: His signature is like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes (wildly cursive), I can't understand it at all.
  • Analysis: Uses a common idiom `龙飞凤舞 (lóngfēifèngwǔ)` to describe messy or artistic handwriting, often used for signatures.
• Example 7:
  • 这本书有作者的签名，所以更贵一些。
  • Pinyin: Zhè běn shū yǒu zuòzhě de qiānmíng, suǒyǐ gèng guì yīxiē.
  • English: This book has the author's signature, so it's a bit more expensive.
  • Analysis: Shows how a `签名` can add value to an item.
• Example 8:
  • 我们发起了一个请愿活动，希望大家都能来签名。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen fāqǐle yīgè qǐngyuàn huódòng, xīwàng dàjiā dōu néng lái qiānmíng.
  • English: We started a petition and hope everyone can come and sign it.
  • Analysis: Using `签名` in the context of a petition or showing support.
• Example 9:
  • 现在很多公司都接受电子签名了。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài hěnduō gōngsī dōu jiēshòu diànzǐ qiānmíng le.
  • English: Nowadays, many companies accept electronic signatures.
  • Analysis: Shows the modern application of the term in a digital context.
• Example 10:
  • 在银行开户，签名和盖章都是必需的。
  • Pinyin: Zài yínháng kāihù, qiānmíng hé gàizhāng dōu shì bìxū de.
  • English: When opening a bank account, both signing and using a seal are required.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly highlights the cultural point of signatures and seals often being used together in formal settings.

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 签名 (qiānmíng) and 签字 (qiānzì).

• 签名 (qiānmíng): Broader term. Can be a verb (to sign) or a noun (signature/autograph). It's the only word you can use for a celebrity autograph.
• 签字 (qiānzì): Literally “sign characters.” It is almost exclusively used as a verb for the act of signing a document, usually one with legal or official weight. It feels slightly more formal and action-oriented than `签名`. While you can often use `签名` where you would use `签字`, the reverse is not true.
• Key takeaway: If you're talking about an autograph, always use `签名`. If you're signing a contract, both `签名` and `签字` are acceptable, but `签字` emphasizes the official action itself. When in doubt, `签名` is usually a safe choice.
• Common Mistake Example:
  • Incorrect: 我可以要你的签字吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ yào nǐ de qiānzì ma?)
  • Why it's wrong: This sounds like you are asking a celebrity to legally authorize a document for you. It's awkward and incorrect.
  • Correct: 我可以要你的签名吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ yào nǐ de qiānmíng ma?) - “Can I have your autograph?”

• 签字 (qiānzì) - A close synonym used almost exclusively as a verb for the formal act of signing official documents.
• 印章 (yìnzhāng) - The traditional Chinese seal or “chop,” a culturally significant item often used alongside or in place of a signature.
• 盖章 (gàizhāng) - The action of stamping with a seal. The counterpart action to `签名`.
• 署名 (shǔmíng) - A more formal, literary word for signing one's name, especially as an author on an article or an artist on a work of art.
• 合同 (hétong) - Contract. One of the most common types of documents that requires a `签名`.
• 名字 (míngzi) - Name. The basic information you are writing when you `签名`.
• 手写 (shǒuxiě) - Handwritten. Used to specify that a physical signature is needed, not a digital one.
• 电子签名 (diànzǐ qiānmíng) - Electronic Signature. The modern, digital version of a `签名`.