名不正则言不顺

名不正則言不順

míngbùzhèngzéyánbùshùn

phrase

Meanings

1 if names are not correct, speech will not flow
2 if titles are wrong, words have no authority
3 without proper designation, nothing can be properly said

Characters

correct / proper

smooth / flowing

Examples

名不正则言不顺，言不顺则事不成。

Míng bù zhèng zé yán bù shùn, yán bù shùn zé shì bù chéng.

If names are not correct, speech will not flow; if speech does not flow, affairs cannot succeed.

公司合并后要先确定新的职务，否则名不正则言不顺。

Gōngsī hébìng hòu yào xiān quèdìng xīn de zhíwù, fǒuzé míng bù zhèng zé yán bù shùn.

After the merger, new titles must be confirmed first — otherwise nothing can be done with proper authority.

Tips

history

From 《论语·子路》. When asked by Zilu what he would do first if given government, Confucius replied: 必也正名乎 — 'The rectification of names.' He then explained: 名不正则言不顺，言不顺则事不成，事不成则礼乐不兴… This doctrine of 正名 (rectification of names) became foundational to Confucian statecraft.

usage

正 here is read zhèng (correct / proper). The phrase is the 'rectification of names' argument — used when debating titles, job descriptions, or political legitimacy.

Stroke Order

名 míng

不 bù

正 zhèng

则 zé

言 yán

顺 shùn