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:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 这就叫'...' in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.