tímíng: 提名 - Nominate, Nomination

• Keywords: 提名, ti ming, nominate Chinese, propose a name Chinese, Chinese for nomination, award nomination China, political nomination China, 提名 meaning, 提名 vs 推荐, HSK 6 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 提名 (tímíng), which means “to nominate” or “nomination.” This formal term is crucial for understanding discussions about awards like the Oscars, political elections, or official appointments. This guide will break down its meaning, show you how to use it in practical sentences, and clarify its important difference from the more common word “推荐 (tuījiàn)” (to recommend), helping you speak more accurately about official selections in Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tí míng
• Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To formally propose a person or work for an award, position, or honor.
• In a Nutshell: 提名 (tímíng) is the official act of putting a name forward for formal consideration. Imagine a list for “Best Actress” or “Company President”—提名 is the action of adding a name to that official list. It's not a casual suggestion; it's a formal step in a selection process.

• 提 (tí): This character's radical is 扌, which means “hand.” The character means “to lift,” “to carry,” or “to bring up / mention.” It signifies an action of raising something.
• 名 (míng): This character means “name,” “fame,” or “reputation.” It's composed of 夕 (evening) and 口 (mouth)—the idea being that in the dark, you have to call out someone's name to identify them.
• Word Meaning: The characters combine literally to mean “to lift up a name” or “to bring up a name.” This creates a powerful and accurate visual for the act of formally nominating someone for a specific, recognized purpose.

提名 (tímíng) is a direct counterpart to the Western concept of “nomination” and reflects a universal process of formal selection. Its significance lies in its formality. In Chinese culture, which often values structured processes and clear hierarchies, 提名 represents a critical, official step that separates casual suggestions from serious contenders. It's the point where an individual or a work is formally recognized by an institution, whether it's a government body, an academy, or a corporation. A useful comparison is with 推荐 (tuījiàn) - to recommend.

• 推荐 (tuījiàn) is like telling a friend, “You should watch this movie, it's great,” or “I think Zhang Wei would be good for the job.” It's a personal endorsement.
• 提名 (tímíng) is the action of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially announcing, “This film is now a candidate for Best Picture.”

Getting a 提名 is an honor in itself, as it implies that one has passed a certain threshold of quality or qualification to be considered among the best. This is true for film awards (like China's Golden Rooster Awards, 金鸡奖 Jīnjī Jiǎng) and in the political sphere for appointments to committees or official posts.

提名 is used almost exclusively in formal contexts. You will hear it most often in these situations:

• Awards and Competitions: This is the most common usage for learners to encounter. News reports and social media discussions about the Oscars (奥斯卡金像奖), the Grammy Awards (格莱美奖), the Nobel Prize (诺贝尔奖), and Chinese domestic awards will all use 提名.
  • e.g., “Which movie got a Best Picture nomination?” (哪部电影获得了最佳影片提名？)
• Politics and Governance: When a political party selects a candidate or when a government body puts forth a name for a position (like a minister or a judge), the term 提名 is used. It's a key part of formal political language.
  • e.g., “The committee will discuss the nominations for the new chairman.” (委员会将讨论新主席的提名。)
• Business and Corporate Governance: In large companies, shareholders or the board of directors may 提名 individuals for positions on the board.

The connotation is neutral-to-positive. The act itself is a neutral, procedural step, but being the recipient of a 提名 is a significant achievement and honor.

• Example 1:
  • 她因其出色的表演而提名为最佳女主角。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīn qí chūsè de biǎoyǎn ér tímíng wéi zuì jiā nǚ zhǔjué.
  • English: She was nominated for Best Actress for her outstanding performance.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of using 提名 in the context of awards. The structure “因…而提名” means “nominated because of…”.
• Example 2:
  • 祝贺你获得奥斯卡提名！
  • Pinyin: Zhùhè nǐ huòdé Àosīkǎ tímíng!
  • English: Congratulations on getting an Oscar nomination!
  • Analysis: Here, 提名 is used as a noun. “获得提名” (huòdé tímíng) means “to receive a nomination.”
• Example 3:
  • 明天我们将提名新的团队代表。
  • Pinyin: Míngtiān wǒmen jiāng tímíng xīn de tuánduì dàibiǎo.
  • English: Tomorrow we will nominate a new team representative.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows 提名 as a verb in a formal, but not necessarily public, setting like a company team.
• Example 4:
  • 这位导演已经获得过五次提名了，但一次奖都没得过。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi dǎoyǎn yǐjīng huòdéguò wǔ cì tímíng le, dàn yīcì jiǎng dōu méi déguò.
  • English: This director has already received five nominations, but has never won an award.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how to quantify nominations using “次” (cì).
• Example 5:
  • 提名名单将于下周公布。
  • Pinyin: Tímíng míngdān jiāng yú xiàzhōu gōngbù.
  • English: The nomination list will be announced next week.
  • Analysis: 提名名单 (tímíng míngdān) is a very common compound word meaning “nomination list” or “list of nominees.”
• Example 6:
  • 谁有资格提名候选人？
  • Pinyin: Shéi yǒu zīgé tímíng hòuxuǎnrén?
  • English: Who is qualified to nominate candidates?
  • Analysis: This question explores the rules of the nomination process. It pairs 提名 with its logical object, 候选人 (hòuxuǎnrén), meaning “candidate.”
• Example 7:
  • 他被党内提名为总统候选人。
  • Pinyin: Tā bèi dǎng nèi tímíng wéi zǒngtǒng hòuxuǎnrén.
  • English: He was nominated by the party as the presidential candidate.
  • Analysis: The passive voice with “被” (bèi) is very common with 提名, as the person being nominated is the subject of the sentence.
• Example 8:
  • 谢谢您的提名，我感到非常荣幸。
  • Pinyin: Xièxiè nín de tímíng, wǒ gǎndào fēicháng róngxìng.
  • English: Thank you for your nomination, I feel very honored.
  • Analysis: This shows how someone would respond to being nominated. 提名 is used as a noun here: “your nomination.”
• Example 9:
  • 只有获得提名的电影才能角逐最终大奖。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyǒu huòdé tímíng de diànyǐng cáinéng juézhú zuìzhōng dàjiǎng.
  • English: Only nominated films can compete for the final grand prize.
  • Analysis: This sentence clarifies the role of nomination as a prerequisite for winning. “角逐” (juézhú) means “to contend” or “to compete for.”
• Example 10:
  • 虽然没获奖，但获得提名本身就是一种肯定。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán méi huòjiǎng, dàn huòdé tímíng běnshēn jiùshì yīzhǒng kěndìng.
  • English: Although he didn't win, receiving the nomination is itself a form of affirmation.
  • Analysis: This highlights the cultural value placed on the nomination itself. “本身” (běnshēn) means “in itself,” and “肯定” (kěndìng) means “affirmation” or “recognition.”

The most significant pitfall for English speakers is confusing 提名 (tímíng) with 推荐 (tuījiàn).

• 提名 (tímíng) - To Nominate: Formal, official, part of a structured process (elections, awards). It means putting someone on an official shortlist.
• 推荐 (tuījiàn) - To Recommend: Can be formal or informal. It's a suggestion or endorsement. You can recommend a person for a job, a book to a friend, or a restaurant for dinner.

Common Mistake Example:

• Incorrect: 我的朋友提名我去看这部电影。(Wǒ de péngyǒu tímíng wǒ qù kàn zhè bù diànyǐng.)
• Why it's wrong: Nominating is too formal and official for a movie suggestion. It sounds like your friend is entering you into a contest for “Best Movie Watcher.”
• Correct: 我的朋友推荐我去看这部电影。(Wǒ de péngyǒu tuījiàn wǒ qù kàn zhè bù diànyǐng. - My friend recommended I go see this movie.)

Think of it this way: a professor might 推荐 (tuījiàn) a student for a prestigious scholarship. Then, the scholarship committee will review all recommendations and officially 提名 (tímíng) a few finalists.

• 推荐 (tuījiàn) - To recommend. The more general and often informal counterpart to 提名.
• 候选人 (hòuxuǎnrén) - Candidate; nominee. The person who has been nominated.
• 选举 (xuǎnjǔ) - Election. The formal process for which candidates are often nominated.
• 获奖 (huòjiǎng) - To win an award. The goal and potential outcome of a nomination.
• 任命 (rènmìng) - To appoint. This is the step after nomination and selection. Nomination is proposing; appointment is the final decision to give someone the job.
• 奖项 (jiǎngxiàng) - Award; prize category. For example, “Best Director” is a 奖项.
• 评选 (píngxuǎn) - To select through appraisal. The process of judging and choosing from the list of nominees.
• 提名人 (tímíngrén) - Nominator. The person or entity that makes the nomination.
• 入围 (rùwéi) - To be shortlisted; to make it to the final round. Very similar to being nominated. A film that is nominated has 入围 the final competition.