====== kǒubēi: 口碑 - Word-of-Mouth, Reputation ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** 口碑, koubei, Chinese word for reputation, word-of-mouth in Chinese, kou bei meaning, Chinese business culture, public opinion, customer reviews in China, what does koubei mean
  * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **口碑 (kǒubēi)**, a crucial term in Chinese culture that translates to "word-of-mouth" or "public reputation." This page explores how 口碑 is more than just reviews; it's a reflection of collective trust and a cornerstone of business and social life in China. Learn its cultural significance, how to use it in conversation, and how it differs from Western concepts of reputation.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** kǒu bēi
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 5
  * **Concise Definition:** The public's opinion or reputation of a person, product, or business, established through word-of-mouth.
  * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine a reputation that isn't built by advertising, but purely by what people say to each other. That's **口碑 (kǒubēi)**. It's the organic, collective judgment of the community. A good **口碑** is earned through quality and trust, making it one of the most powerful assets a person or business can have in China.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **口 (kǒu):** This character is a pictograph of a **mouth**. It represents speech, words, and openings.
  * **碑 (bēi):** This character means **stele** or **stone monument**. These were large, public stone tablets erected to commemorate important people or events, intended to last for generations.
  * The characters combine to create a powerful metaphor: a reputation that is as public, solid, and enduring as a stone monument (**碑**), built by the words from people's mouths (**口**).
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
In Western culture, we often rely on advertising, expert reviews, or individual online ratings (like on Yelp or Google). While these exist in China, **口碑 (kǒubēi)** holds a deeper cultural weight. It is rooted in China's collectivist society, where group consensus and social harmony are highly valued.
A good **口碑** is seen as more authentic and trustworthy than any form of official promotion or **[[宣传]] (xuānchuán)**, which is often viewed with skepticism. It's the "real story" shared among friends, family, and colleagues. For a business, a positive **口碑** can lead to immense success, while a negative one can be devastating. This is because **口碑** is directly tied to trust and social proof. A decision (like which restaurant to choose or which doctor to see) is often validated by the positive experiences of the community.
Compared to the Western concept of "reputation," **口碑** is specifically about the public's user/consumer experience and is spread orally or through community channels. A Western company might have a "reputation" for being innovative or financially stable, which is a different concept. **口碑** is what the masses say about their direct experience with you.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**口碑** is an extremely common and important word in modern daily life.
  * **In Business and Commerce:** This is the most common context. It's used to discuss the reputation of restaurants, shops, brands, and products. A business with good **口碑** is one you can trust.
  * **In Entertainment:** The **口碑** of a movie, TV show, or book is a major factor in its success. A film with a low budget can become a blockbuster if its **口碑** is strong, a phenomenon known as **口碑爆了 (kǒubēi bào le)** - "the word-of-mouth exploded."
  * **For Services and Professionals:** People talk about the **口碑** of doctors, teachers, mechanics, and other service providers. Choosing a doctor with a good **口碑** is a common practice.
The connotation is usually neutral until modified by an adjective, such as **好 (hǎo)** for good, or **差 (chà)** for bad.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 这家餐厅的**口碑**非常好，我们去尝尝吧！
    * Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de **kǒubēi** fēicháng hǎo, wǒmen qù chángchang ba!
    * English: This restaurant's word-of-mouth is excellent, let's go try it!
    * Analysis: A very common, everyday usage. The speaker is trusting the public reputation over other factors.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 我买手机前，会上网看看大家的**口碑**怎么样。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ mǎi shǒujī qián, huì shàngwǎng kànkan dàjiā de **kǒubēi** zěnmeyàng.
    * English: Before I buy a phone, I go online to see what everyone's opinion/word-of-mouth is like.
    * Analysis: This shows how the traditional concept of **口碑** has adapted to the digital age, referring to online reviews and community feedback.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 这部电影虽然宣传不多，但是**口碑**爆了，票房很高。
    * Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng suīrán xuānchuán bù duō, dànshì **kǒubēi** bào le, piàofáng hěn gāo.
    * English: Although this movie didn't have much publicity, its word-of-mouth exploded, and the box office sales are very high.
    * Analysis: **口碑爆了 (kǒubēi bào le)** is a popular slang-like phrase meaning a piece of media went viral due to positive public opinion.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 他们公司为了建立良好的**口碑**，非常注重售后服务。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen gōngsī wèile jiànlì liánghǎo de **kǒubēi**, fēicháng zhùzhòng shòuhòu fúwù.
    * English: In order to build a good reputation, their company pays great attention to after-sales service.
    * Analysis: This sentence highlights that **口碑** is something that can be strategically built through quality and service. **建立 (jiànlì)**, "to build" or "to establish," is a common verb used with **口碑**.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 那个牌子的产品**口碑**很差，据说质量有问题。
    * Pinyin: Nàge páizi de chǎnpǐn **kǒubēi** hěn chà, jùshuō zhìliàng yǒu wèntí.
    * English: That brand's products have a very bad reputation; I heard there are quality issues.
    * Analysis: Shows the negative use of the term. **差 (chà)** is the standard adjective for a bad **口碑**.
  * **Example 6:**
    * 在我们这个行业，**口碑**比任何广告都重要。
    * Pinyin: Zài wǒmen zhège hángyè, **kǒubēi** bǐ rènhé guǎnggào dōu zhòngyào.
    * English: In our industry, word-of-mouth is more important than any advertisement.
    * Analysis: This sentence directly states the cultural value placed on **口碑** over formal advertising (**广告 guǎnggào**).
  * **Example 7:**
    * 王医生的**口碑**是几十年积累下来的，大家都信得过他。
    * Pinyin: Wáng yīshēng de **kǒubēi** shì jǐ shí nián jīlěi xiàlái de, dàjiā dōu xìndeguò tā.
    * English: Dr. Wang's reputation has been accumulated over several decades; everyone trusts him.
    * Analysis: This emphasizes that a good **口碑** is earned over a long period through consistent, trustworthy behavior. The verb **积累 (jīlěi)**, "to accumulate," is perfect here.
  * **Example 8:**
    * 我们不能只听一面之词，要多方面了解它的**口碑**。
    * Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng zhǐ tīng yīmiànzhīcí, yào duō fāngmiàn liǎojiě tā de **kǒubēi**.
    * English: We can't just listen to one side of the story; we need to understand its reputation from multiple perspectives.
    * Analysis: This shows a sophisticated understanding of **口碑**, acknowledging that it's a collection of many opinions and one should seek a balanced view.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 因为一个丑闻，那家百年老店的**口碑**一落千丈。
    * Pinyin: Yīnwèi yí ge chǒuwén, nà jiā bǎinián lǎodiàn de **kǒubēi** yí luò qiān zhàng.
    * English: Because of a scandal, the reputation of that century-old shop plummeted.
    * Analysis: The idiom **一落千丈 (yí luò qiān zhàng)**, meaning "to drop dramatically," is often used with **口碑** to describe a reputation being ruined quickly.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 这款软件的**口碑**两极分化，喜欢的人说它很创新，不喜欢的人说它太复杂。
    * Pinyin: Zhè kuǎn ruǎnjiàn de **kǒubēi** liǎngjí fēnhuà, xǐhuān de rén shuō tā hěn chuàngxīn, bù xǐhuān de rén shuō tā tài fùzá.
    * English: The word-of-mouth for this software is polarized; people who like it say it's innovative, and people who dislike it say it's too complicated.
    * Analysis: **两极分化 (liǎngjí fēnhuà)** means "polarized." This is a great example of how **口碑** can be nuanced and not just simply "good" or "bad."
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **口碑 (kǒubēi) vs. 名誉 (míngyù):** This is a critical distinction for learners.
    * **口碑 (kǒubēi)** is about public opinion regarding quality and experience. It's informal and relates to products, services, and everyday people. A restaurant has **口碑**.
    * **[[名誉]] (míngyù)** is a more formal term for "reputation" or "honor." It relates to a person's or institution's character, prestige, and good name in a serious or official sense. Damaging someone's **名誉** could lead to a lawsuit for defamation (**损害名誉 sǔnhài míngyù**). You'd talk about a judge's or a university's **名誉**.
    * **Mistake:** Saying "这家餐厅的名誉很好 (Zhè jiā cāntīng de míngyù hěn hǎo)." This sounds overly formal and strange. You should say: "这家餐厅的口碑很好。"
  * **口碑 (kǒubēi) is about //public// opinion:** You can't have a **口碑** with just one person. It is inherently a collective concept. It's the sum of many people's experiences and discussions.
  * **Not just "reputation":** While "reputation" is the closest English word, remember that **口碑** specifically implies the "word-of-mouth" mechanism. It's less about a static quality and more about the dynamic process of public discussion.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[评价]] (píngjià) - Evaluation, assessment, review. This is the individual unit that builds a **口碑**. Many good **评价** lead to a good **口碑**.
  * [[名声]] (míngshēng) - Fame, reputation. Broader than **口碑** and can be good or bad (e.g., 坏名声 - bad name/reputation).
  * [[名誉]] (míngyù) - Honor, prestige, formal reputation. Used in more serious or official contexts.
  * [[信誉]] (xìnyù) - Credibility, trustworthiness. Often related to financial or contractual reliability. A company with good **信誉** keeps its promises.
  * [[推荐]] (tuījiàn) - To recommend; recommendation. The action of spreading a good **口碑**.
  * [[好评]] (hǎopíng) - Positive review/feedback. Literally "good evaluation." The opposite is [[差评]] (chàpíng), "bad review."
  * [[宣传]] (xuānchuán) - Publicity, propaganda, advertising. This is what a company says about itself, often seen as the opposite of the organic, user-generated **口碑**.
  * [[网红店]] (wǎnghóng diàn) - "Internet-famous store." A modern, digital form of a place with strong **口碑**, where its reputation spreads rapidly online.