家喻户晓

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: jiā yù hù xiǎo
• English Translation: Known by everyone, widely recognized, universally familiar
• Idiom Composition: 「家」（Home, family）＋「喻」（To understand, to be familiar with）＋「户」（Household, family）＋「晓」（To know, to be aware）
• Meaning: Understood and known by every household; that is, something that everyone knows and is widely recognized. It applies broadly to people, things, or events.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「家喻户晓」 contains the following nuances:

• Overwhelming popularity: Indicates an extremely high level of recognition, beyond just being 'famous,' known by almost everyone.
• Wide-reaching penetration: Shows that something has spread widely throughout society, not limited to a specific region or group.
• Universality: Implies universality, meaning that people of all ages, statuses, and professions are familiar with it.

3. Usage

「家喻户晓」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Emphasizing high popularity: Used to emphasize the very high popularity of a person, thing, or event.
  • Example:「这个明星在全国家喻户晓。」
    （This celebrity is known by everyone across the country.）
• Indicating the degree of popularity: Expresses that certain information or culture has widely spread throughout society.
  • Example:「这首民歌在中国家喻户晓。」
    （This folk song is widely known throughout China.）
• Indicating significant influence: Indicates that a person or event has had a great impact on society and is widely recognized.
  • Example:「他的改革措施家喻户晓，对国家发展产生了深远影响。」
    （His reform measures are widely known and have had a profound impact on the country's development.）

Additional Examples:

1. 这部电影上映后，很快就变得家喻户晓。
   （After its release, this movie quickly became widely known.）
2. 作为一名家喻户晓的作家，他的作品被翻译成了多种语言。
   （As a widely recognized author, his works have been translated into multiple languages.）
3. 这个历史事件在中国家喻户晓，是每个学生必学的知识。
   （This historical event is known by everyone in China and is essential knowledge for every student.）
4. 随着互联网的发展，许多网络用语也变得家喻户晓。
   （With the development of the internet, many internet terms have also become widely known.）
5. 这项政策关系到每个人的切身利益，因此一经推出就家喻户晓。
   （This policy concerns everyone's vital interests, so it became widely known immediately after its introduction.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Development of communication methods: Historically, '家喻户晓' was formed mainly through word of mouth and traditional media. In modern times, with the spread of the internet and social media, information spreads instantly, making the state of being 'widely known' easier to achieve.
• Exaggeration: It is not literally known by every household; the phrase is used as an exaggeration to express widespread recognition.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 人尽皆知 (rén jìn jiē zhī): Known by everyone.
  • 广为人知 (guǎng wéi rén zhī): Widely known among people.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 默默无闻 (mò mò wú wén): Completely unknown, not recognized by the public.
  • 鲜为人知 (xiǎn wéi rén zhī): Known by very few people.

6. Summary

'家喻户晓' has become an increasingly familiar expression in modern society due to the rapid spread of information. When using this idiom, it is important to recognize that it signifies not just being famous, but having an overwhelming level of recognition that has permeated society widely and is known by almost everyone.