‘名实相称’ literally means ‘name and reality match’ — it describes a situation where something’s name or title accurately reflects its true nature, quality, or function. The character 名 (míng) means ‘name’ or ‘reputation’, 实 (shí) means ‘reality’, ‘substance’, or ‘actual facts’, 相 (xiāng) indicates mutual relationship, and 称 (chèn) means ‘to match’, ‘to be commensurate with’. Together, the phrase expresses integrity between appearance and essence — for example, a restaurant called ‘Authentic Sichuan Kitchen’ should indeed serve genuine Sichuan food.

This idiom is often used in formal or evaluative contexts: reviewing institutions, products, job titles, or personal conduct. It carries a positive, slightly classical tone and implies trustworthiness and sincerity. While not everyday conversational slang, it appears frequently in editorials, official reports, and moral discourse — especially when praising consistency between promise and performance, or criticizing hypocrisy or exaggeration.