如雷贯耳

如雷貫耳

rúléiguàn'ěr

idiom #41,393

Meanings

1 like thunder piercing the ear
2 widely renowned
3 your name is well known

Characters

to pierce through

Examples

久闻先生大名，如雷贯耳。

Jiǔ wén xiānsheng dàmíng, rúléiguàn'ěr.

I've long heard your name — it rings in my ears like thunder.

他的名声如雷贯耳，谁都知道。

Tā de míngshēng rúléiguàn'ěr, shéi dōu zhīdào.

His reputation thunders in everyone's ears — everyone knows of him.

Tips

register

Classic polite formula for first meetings, common in period dramas. In modern Chinese it feels slightly old-fashioned but still useful for formal or flattering contexts.

history

Attested in Yuan drama 《冻苏秦》, which opens the scene with the stock line 久闻先生大名，如雷贯耳.

Stroke Order

如 rú

雷 léi

贯 guàn

耳 ěr