名利

• Pinyin: míng lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 名 = 夕 (evening) + 口 (mouth); 利 = 禾 (grain) + 刀 (knife) — harvesting grain, i.e., profit

Meaning

Fame and fortune; reputation and wealth. The combined pursuit of public recognition and material gain.

Often used critically to describe those excessively driven by worldly rewards. The phrase 淡泊名利 (indifferent to fame and fortune) is a classical ideal of detachment. 名利场 (the arena of fame and fortune) evokes the concept of vanity fair.

Examples

1. 他功成名就后反而淡泊名利，选择归隐田园。 After achieving success and recognition, he became indifferent to fame and fortune and chose to withdraw to a rural life.
2. 娱乐圈是个名利场，许多人在追逐名利的过程中迷失自我。 The entertainment industry is a world driven by fame and profit, and many people lose themselves in the chase.
3. 她只想专注于研究本身，从不把名利放在首位。 She only wants to focus on the research itself and never puts fame or gain first.

Usage Guide

Context: ethics, philosophy, entertainment, career

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 真正热爱艺术的人不会被名利所束缚，创作出的作品才能保持纯粹。(Those who truly love art are not bound by the pursuit of fame and fortune, and so their creative work remains pure.)
• 他一生淡泊名利，把毕生精力献给了山区的教育事业。(He was indifferent to fame and fortune all his life, devoting his energy to education in mountainous areas.)

Don't Say

• 把'名利'单独用来表示名誉 (名利 always bundles both reputation AND material gain; for fame alone use 名气 or 名声; for profit alone use 利益)

Origin & History

名 (fame, reputation) + 利 (profit, benefit). A classic compound pairing reputation with material gain, often used together to describe worldly ambition.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal