jiāyùhùxiǎo: 家喻户晓 - Household Name, Widely Known
Quick Summary
Keywords: jiayuhuxiao, 家喻户晓, household name in Chinese, chengyu for famous, well-known, widely known, famous in China, Chinese idiom, how to say famous in Chinese, Chinese proverbs.
Summary: Learn the Chinese idiom (chengyu) 家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo), the direct equivalent of “household name.” This page breaks down the characters, explores its cultural significance, and provides over 10 practical examples. Understand how to describe someone or something so famous that they are known in every single home, distinguishing it from simply being “famous.”
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): jiā yù hù xiǎo
Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu); Adjective
HSK Level: N/A (This is a Chengyu, generally considered an advanced vocabulary item, but is very common and useful to learn early.)
Concise Definition: Known by every family and every household; a household name.
In a Nutshell: 家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo) is a vivid four-character idiom that describes a level of fame that has penetrated every corner of society. It paints a literal picture of news or a story spreading from door to door until everyone, in every home, knows about it. It implies a deep, lasting, and widespread recognition that goes beyond fleeting celebrity status.
Character Breakdown
家 (jiā): Family, home.
喻 (yù): To make known, to explain, to understand.
户 (hù): Household, door.
晓 (xiǎo): To know, to understand, to dawn.
The characters combine powerfully. 家 (jiā) and 户 (hù) are near-synonyms, and their pairing emphasizes completeness—not just some families, but every single household. Likewise, 喻 (yù) and 晓 (xiǎo) combine to mean “to be made to understand and to know.” The literal translation is “every family is made to understand, every household knows.” This structure creates the powerful image of universal recognition.
Cultural Context and Significance
家喻户晓 is a classic example of a 成语 (chéngyǔ), a four-character idiom that is a cornerstone of the Chinese language. Using chengyu demonstrates education and eloquence.
While the English “household name” is a close equivalent, 家喻户晓 has a more visual and communal feel. “Household name” is a somewhat abstract business or marketing term. In contrast, 家喻户晓 evokes the traditional social fabric of China, where news and reputation spread organically through tight-knit communities and neighborhoods. It reflects a culture where community awareness is highly valued. To be 家喻户晓 isn't just to be famous; it's to have become part of the collective consciousness of the people.
Practical Usage in Modern China
家喻户晓 is used to describe a person, story, brand, or event that has achieved an extremely high level of public awareness.
Formality: It is more formal and literary than simply saying someone is `很有名 (hěn yǒu míng - very famous)`. You will often see it in news articles, books, and formal speeches, but it is also used by educated speakers in everyday conversation to add emphasis.
Connotation: The term is overwhelmingly positive, implying great success, cultural impact, and widespread acceptance.
Common Usages:
Famous People: Celebrities, national heroes, historical figures. (e.g., Yao Ming)
Classic Works: Novels, films, songs that everyone knows. (e.g., the novel *Journey to the West*)
Iconic Brands: Brands that are ubiquitous. (e.g., Coca-Cola or WeChat in China)
Major Events: Historical or social events that are known by all.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
孙悟空这个名字在中国是家喻户晓的。
Pinyin: Sūn Wùkōng zhège míngzì zài Zhōngguó shì jiā yù hù xiǎo de.
English: The name Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) is a household name in China.
Analysis: This is a perfect use case, referring to a legendary character from a classic novel that every Chinese person knows from childhood.
Example 2:
他的电影让他成为了一个家喻户晓的明星。
Pinyin: Tā de diànyǐng ràng tā chéngwéi le yí ge jiā yù hù xiǎo de míngxīng.
English: His movies made him a household-name star.
Analysis: This sentence describes the process of achieving this ultimate level of fame through successful work.
Example 3:
微信在中国已经是一个家喻户晓的手机应用了。
Pinyin: Wēixìn zài Zhōngguó yǐjīng shì yí ge jiā yù hù xiǎo de shǒujī yìngyòng le.
English: WeChat is already a household-name mobile app in China.
Analysis: This shows how the term can be applied to modern technology and brands that have achieved total market saturation.
Example 4:
这首儿歌家喻户晓，每个孩子都会唱。
Pinyin: Zhè shǒuérgē jiā yù hù xiǎo, měi ge háizi dōu huì chàng.
English: This children's song is known by everyone; every child can sing it.
Analysis: The second half of the sentence (“every child can sing it”) perfectly reinforces the meaning of 家喻户晓.
Example 5:
在二十世纪八十年代，这个政策几乎是家喻户晓的。
Pinyin: Zài èrshí shìjì bāshí niándài, zhège zhèngcè jīhū shì jiā yù hù xiǎo de.
English: In the 1980s, this policy was known by practically every household.
Analysis: The term can also apply to non-commercial things like famous government policies or historical slogans.
Example 6:
邓丽君的歌声，可以说是家喻户晓，影响了几代人。
Pinyin: Dèng Lìjūn de gēshēng, kěyǐ shuō shì jiā yù hù xiǎo, yǐngxiǎng le jǐ dài rén.
English: The voice of Teresa Teng, you could say, is known to every household and has influenced several generations.
Analysis: This example highlights the lasting, generational impact implied by the term.
Example 7:
“不到长城非好汉”这句话，在中国家喻户晓。
Pinyin: “Bú dào Chángchéng fēi hǎohàn” zhè jù huà, zài Zhōngguó jiā yù hù xiǎo.
English: The saying, “He who has not been to the Great Wall is not a true man,” is a household phrase in China.
Analysis: This shows the idiom can describe a famous quote or saying, not just a person or product.
Example 8:
经过媒体的广泛报道，这件事很快就变得家喻户晓。
Pinyin: Jīngguò méitǐ de guǎngfàn bàodào, zhè jiàn shì hěn kuài jiù biàn de jiā yù hù xiǎo.
English: After extensive media coverage, this matter quickly became known to every household.
Analysis: This sentence explains the mechanism (media coverage) by which something can achieve 家喻户晓 status in the modern era.
Example 9:
虽然他在自己的领域里很有名，但还远未达到家喻户晓的程度。
Pinyin: Suīrán tā zài zìjǐ de lǐngyù li hěn yǒu míng, dàn hái yuǎn wèi dádào jiā yù hù xiǎo de chéngdù.
English: Although he is very famous in his own field, he is far from reaching the level of a household name.
Analysis: This is a great example of nuance, contrasting being “famous” (`有名`) with the much higher bar of being 家喻户晓.
Example 10:
你难道不知道他吗？他可是个家喻户晓的人物啊！
Pinyin: Nǐ nándào bù zhīdào tā ma? Tā kěshì ge jiā yù hù xiǎo de rénwù a!
English: You don't know him? But he's a household-name figure!
Analysis: This shows its use in conversational speech, expressing surprise that someone is unaware of a very famous person.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Don't use it for temporary or niche fame. A viral internet celebrity (`网红 - wǎnghóng`) who is famous for a few weeks is not 家喻户晓. This term implies a deep and lasting level of fame. It's about cultural significance, not just momentary popularity.
Incorrect: 这个网红上周很火，现在已经家喻户晓了。(This internet celebrity was hot last week, now he's a household name.)
Reason: Fame from a single viral video is too fleeting.
It's a step above “famous.” The most common mistake for learners is to use it interchangeably with `有名 (yǒu míng)`. 家喻户晓 is the absolute peak of fame.
Use it for people, stories, brands, and well-known concepts. It's less common to use it for abstract ideas or objects unless they have a famous name or story attached to them. You wouldn't say a specific type of screwdriver is 家喻户晓, but you could say the brand “Phillips” is.
众所周知 (zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī) - “As everyone knows.” This is used to introduce a widely known
fact, whereas `家喻户晓` is used to describe the fame of a
noun (person, place, thing).
妇孺皆知 (fù rú jiē zhī) - “Known by women and children.” A very close synonym that emphasizes that someone/something is so famous that even the uneducated or the very young know about it.
大名鼎鼎 (dà míng dǐng dǐng) - “Famous, renowned.” Describes a person with a grand and celebrated reputation. It focuses more on the “greatness” of the name.
闻名遐迩 (wén míng xiá ěr) - “Famous far and wide.” A more literary term that emphasizes the vast geographical reach of someone's or something's fame.
赫赫有名 (hè hè yǒu míng) - “Illustrious, celebrated.” Often implies fame earned through powerful deeds, military achievements, or high status.
有名 (yǒu míng) - The basic adjective for “famous.” `家喻户晓` is a much stronger, more specific, and more formal version of `有名`.
网红 (wǎng hóng) - “Internet celebrity.” Often used to describe modern, online-based fame which can be massive but is often temporary, contrasting with the lasting nature of `家喻户晓`.
默默无闻 (mò mò wú wén) - “Unknown, obscure.” A direct antonym, describing someone who works in obscurity without any fame.