以…为名
under the name of; on the pretext of
Structure
以 好听的名义 为名 ， 实际做的事
What it means
Under the name of; on the pretext of. A is the respectable label, and what follows is what is really going on, so it exposes a pretext and is critical.
How it is built
以 + fine-sounding label + 为名，what is really done: 这个团伙以招聘为名，向求职者收取“培训费” (Posing as recruiters, the gang charged job-seekers “training fees”).
When to use it
Formal: news, court judgments, official warnings; shorter than 打着…的旗号 (lesson 3-18). 以…的名义 is the neutral “in the name of” (以公司的名义签合同); 以…为由 gives stated grounds (以身体不好为由辞职).
Watch out
No 的 before 为名: ✗ 以抽奖的为名 ✓ 以抽奖为名. For neutral acting in someone’s name use 以…的名义 instead: it carries no criticism.
Examples
有的商家以“扫码抽奖”为名收集住址和电话。
Some businesses collect addresses and phone numbers under the guise of a “scan to win” draw.
这个团伙以招聘为名，向求职者收取所谓的“培训费”。
Posing as recruiters, the gang charged job-seekers so-called “training fees”.
他们以考察为名，用公家的钱出国旅游。
On the pretext of a fact-finding trip, they went on holiday abroad with public money.
Learn this in Lesson 196 · HSK 7–9: 个人信息保护 (Protecting personal information)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →