称为

chēng wéi

call; be called; be known as

HSK Level 3

Example Sentences

这种植物被称为“仙人掌”。

Zhè zhǒng zhíwù bèi chēngwéi “xiān rén zhǎng”.

This plant is called “cactus”.

他被称为“天才”。

Tā bèi chēngwéi “tiān cái”.

He is called a “genius”.

这部电影被称为“经典”。

Zhè bù diànyǐng bèi chēngwéi “jīng diǎn”.

This movie is called a “classic”.

Synonyms

Antonyms

叫做 (jiào zuò)

called

名叫 (míng jiào)

named

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 称为 (chènɡ wèi) is a verb-object compound that literally means "to call as" or "to name as". It is composed of the verb 称 (chènɡ), which means "to call", "to name", or "to refer to", and the object 位 (wèi), which means "position", "status", or "title". Together, these two characters form the compound word 称为, which means "to call as", "to name as", or "to refer to as".The word 称为 is often used to introduce a title, position, or status that someone or something has been given. For example, the sentence "他称为首席执行官" (tā chènɡ wèi shǒuxí zhíxíngguān) means "He was named CEO". The word 称为 can also be used to introduce a new name or title that someone or something has adopted. For example, the sentence "她称为玛丽" (tā chènɡ wèi mǎlì) means "She changed her name to Mary".The word 称为 is a versatile verb that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.