不务正业

不務正業
bùwùzhèngyè
idiom #34,765

Meanings

  1. 1 not to engage in honest work (idiom)
  2. 2 to neglect one's proper duties
  3. 3 to fritter away one's time on irrelevant pursuits

Examples

Tā zhěngtiān yóushǒuhàoxián, bùwùzhèngyè.
He loafs around all day and doesn't do any honest work.
Fùmǔ dānxīn érzi bùwùzhèngyè.
The parents worry their son isn't attending to his proper occupation.
Zhè wèi míngxīng zǒng bèi pīpíng bùwùzhèngyè.
This star is often criticized for straying from her main profession.

Tips

history
From 《》 chapter 1 (Ming-dynasty): 读书终日浪荡父母分外不务正业 — after his parents died, the protagonist read little, drifted around, and 'particularly did not attend to his proper occupation.' The idiom has been a standard reproach ever since.
register
Critical, often from parents, teachers, or commentators. Modern internet culture sometimes uses it jokingly for celebrities who dabble outside their main field (a singer who makes perfume, an actor who writes poems) — keep the tone light in that context.

Stroke Order

zhèng