名副其实
míng fù qí shí · HSK 7
but also in reality
🏷️✅ 名 name + 副 matches + 其 its + 实 reality = the name truly fits the substance
Breaks down as name (名) corresponds to (副) its (其) actual substance (实). Said of someone or something that genuinely lives up to its reputation, not just on paper. 副 here carries the sense of corresponding or matching, not the everyday deputy meaning.
名 — evening 夕 + mouth 口
A compound ideograph: in the dark of evening (夕), one cannot recognize others by sight, so the mouth (口) calls out a name to identify oneself. The original sense of 'name' broadened to include reputation, fame, and a measure word for people.
副 — 刀 knife + 畐 (full vessel, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The knife radical 刂 (刀) suggests cutting or splitting, while 畐 (a full jar) gives the sound. The original sense was 'to split in two,' which extended to 'secondary' or 'deputy' — something paired alongside the main one.
其 — top 八 + winnowing basket 其 (originally 箕)
Originally a pictograph of a bamboo winnowing basket, now written 箕 with the bamboo radical added on top. The original form 其 was borrowed phonetically to write the pronoun and particle meaning 'his/her/its' or 'that.' This loan use became dominant, so a new character 箕 was created for the basket meaning.