无名之辈

無名之輩
wúmíngzhībèi
idiom #39,028

Meanings

  1. 1 a nobody
  2. 2 an unknown person
  3. 3 a no-name

Examples

Jǐ nián qián tā háishì gè wúmíngzhībèi, xiànzài yǐjīng shì hángyè lǐngxiù.
A few years ago he was a nobody; now he's a leader in the industry.
Wǒ zhǐshì yī gè wúmíngzhībèi, bù gǎn fābiǎo yìjiàn.
I'm just a nobody — I wouldn't dare voice an opinion.

Tips

usage
Often used self-deprecatingly (只是无名之辈) or to set up a contrast: 'used to be a nobody, now a star.' Carries less sting than English 'nobody' — closer to 'just an ordinary person.'
culture
There's a 2018 Chinese black comedy film 《无名之辈》 (A Cool Fish) about petty thieves and ordinary people whose stories collide — the title leans into the 'nobodies trying to matter' theme.

In Pop Culture

无名之辈 Wúmíngzhībèi
A Cool Fish
2018 Chinese dark comedy directed by Rao Xiaozhi about a chaotic day in the lives of small-town misfits

Stroke Order

míng
zhī
bèi