这就叫'...'
Reach for this when you want to label what just happened with a word or idiom — 'this is what they call X,' 'this is what X means.' It's the verbal equivalent of pointing at a situation and giving it its proper name. Common in commentary, storytelling, and idiomatic explanations: after describing a scene, you name it with a single word, a proverb, or a punchy phrase. The 就 makes the connection feel inevitable: 'see? THIS is X.'
Structure
这就叫'[LABEL / IDIOM]'
zhè jiù jiào '...'
How to Think About It
叫 here means 'to be called' — it's the verb for naming. The 就 adds 'exactly, precisely' — not 'this is sort of called X,' but 'this nails it.' So the whole pattern says 'the word for what you just saw is X.' It almost always follows a concrete example, not a definition. If you're defining a term abstractly, use ...叫做... instead; 这就叫... needs a situation to point at.
Examples
他没说一声就走了，这就叫'没礼貌'。
Tā méi shuō yì shēng jiù zǒu le, zhè jiù jiào 'méi lǐmào'.
He left without saying a word — that's what we call 'rude.'
用很少的钱做很多事，这就叫'聪明'。
Yòng hěn shǎo de qián zuò hěn duō shì, zhè jiù jiào 'cōngmíng'.
Doing a lot with very little money — that's what we call 'smart.'
天天加班还笑着说没事，这就叫'敬业'。
Tiāntiān jiābān hái xiào zhe shuō méi shì, zhè jiù jiào 'jìngyè'.
Working overtime every day and still saying with a smile that it's fine — that's what we call 'dedicated.'
Common Mistake
Learners flip the order to '叫这' or insert 是 in the middle ('这就是叫'), borrowing English 'this is called X.' In Chinese, the verb 叫 sits right after 就, with no 是 in between. The label being applied usually appears in quotation marks or as a fixed phrase right after 叫.
这是就叫'道歉'。
这就叫'道歉'。
Don't Confuse With
...叫做...
Neutral definition: 'X is called Y.' Used in textbooks, formal explanations. 这就叫… is more like 'see, THIS is what we mean by Y' — points at a live example.
这就是...
'This IS X' — equates the situation with a category or concept. 这就叫… specifically attaches a NAME or LABEL; 这就是… can attach anything (an idea, a feeling, a person).
所谓...
'So-called X' — opens a sentence by introducing a term about to be unpacked, often with a slightly skeptical or quotation-y tone. 这就叫… closes a description by naming it; 所谓… opens a description by quoting a term.
Practice
他帮了我这么多，___ 就叫'好朋友'。
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这
这就 ___ '运气'。
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叫
Put in order: [这 / '勇敢' / 就 / 叫]
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这就叫'勇敢'。
Translate to Chinese: 'Helping a stranger without expecting anything back — that's what we call kindness.'
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帮陌生人不求回报，这就叫'善良'。
Describe a small situation in one sentence, then use 这就叫'…' to give it a label.
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Example answer: 下雨天还跑出去送外卖，这就叫'拼'。 (Running out to deliver food even on a rainy day — that's what we call 'grinding.')
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: