The Chinese word 成名 (chéngmíng) is a verb-object compound that literally means "to achieve fame". It is formed by combining the verb 成 (chéng), meaning "to accomplish", "to become", or "to succeed", with the noun 名 (míng), meaning "name", "reputation", or "fame". This structure follows a common pattern in Chinese where an action (成) is directly applied to its object (名), creating a concise term for the concept of attaining a notable reputation or becoming famous.