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How to say "to mention by name" in Chinese

指名

zhǐ míng

social · social · beginner · neutral

socialbeginnerneutral

When To Use It

"to mention by name" maps to 指名 (zhǐ míng), a neutral social phrase for social situations.

This phrase fits casual social contact, quick check-ins, and low-pressure interactions with friends or acquaintances.

Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.

Tone And Delivery

The register is neutral, which makes it flexible: safe in most daily situations without sounding stiff or overly intimate.

Because this is marked beginner, you should aim to recognize it instantly and reuse it with your own names, nouns, locations, or numbers.

A good practice target is the example sentence 指名 (zhǐ míng). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.

Practice Ideas

This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 故称 (gù chēng).

A second nearby phrase to review is 请进 (qǐng jìn), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.

  • Read the example “to mention by name” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
  • Pair it with “... hence the name (used at the end of a sentence)” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
  • Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
  • If you hear a slightly different version in the wild, compare the tone and context before treating it as interchangeable.

Examples

  • 指名

    zhǐ míng

    to mention by name

Related

Explore more phrases on the How to say index or try the Chinese Name Generator.

Phrase FAQ

指名 (zhǐ míng).

Use it in social situations where a neutral tone fits. Because it is tagged beginner, it is meant to be practical and reusable rather than literary or highly specialized.

Yes. Every phrase page includes pinyin with tone marks, plus example sentences so you can hear how the wording expands in real use.

A useful follow-up is 故称 (gù chēng) — "... hence the name (used at the end of a sentence)". Studying connected phrases in small clusters makes them easier to recall in conversation.

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