verb HSK 4
Traditional 表揚
biǎo yáng
to praise · to commend · to give recognition

Meaning

表扬 means to publicly or openly praise someone for their good behavior, achievements, or positive qualities. It's commonly used in educational, workplace, and family settings to encourage and recognize people's efforts. The word carries a formal, positive tone and often appears in official contexts.

Usage

表扬 is frequently used by teachers praising students, managers commending employees, or parents encouraging children. It's more formal than casual compliments like 夸 (kuā). Often used in the pattern '表扬某人' (praise someone) or paired with 批评 (criticize) as opposites. Common in written reports, announcements, and formal speech.

Examples

  1. 01
    老师在全班面前表扬了他的进步。
    Lǎo shī zài quán bān miàn qián biǎo yáng le de jìn .
    The teacher praised his progress in front of the whole class.
  2. 02
    孩子做了好事应该及时表扬
    Hái zi zuò le hǎo shì yīng gāi shí biǎo yáng.
    When children do good deeds, they should be praised promptly.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 表扬
    biǎo yáng xìn
    letter of commendation
  • 公开表扬
    gōng kāi biǎo yáng
    to publicly commend
  • 值得表扬
    zhí biǎo yáng
    worthy of praise
  • 受到表扬
    shòu dào biǎo yáng
    to receive praise

Antonyms

Origin

The compound combines 表 (to express/display) and 扬 (to raise up/publicize), literally meaning 'to raise up and express' someone's merits publicly.

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