Expressing "in the name of" with "yi... de mingyi"

以 (yǐ) ... 名义 (míngyì) is used to represent someone or something. This grammar pattern expresses "in the name of..."

Structure

This structure is similar to the English "in the name of the..." as in "in the name of the people."

以 + Subj. + 名义

Examples

  • 不要的名义给公司写信, 公司会找我麻烦的. Bùyào de míngyì gěi gōngsī xiě xìn, gōngsī huì zhǎo wǒ máfan de. Don't write to the company in my name, they will give me trouble.
  • 这个人是个诈骗犯, 所以政府的名义起诉了他. Zhè ge rén shì gè zhàpiàn fàn, suǒyǐ zhèngfǔ de míngyì qǐsù le tā.This person is a fraud and was sued in the name of the government.
  • 保护生命的名义去屠杀其他种族的人, 并不是道德的. bǎohù shēngmìng de míngyì qù túshā qítā zhǒngzú de rén, bìng bù shì dàodé de. It is not moral to kill people of other races in the name of protecting life.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5