📖 Meaning
To sell out one's friends in exchange for personal fame and status. It describes the despicable act of betraying friendships to gain reputation or advancement. The idiom condemns those who treat relationships as commodities to be traded for self-interest.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Bao Zhao (鲍照), a prominent poet of the Southern Dynasties Liu Song period, in his prose work 'Guabushan Jiwen' (瓜步山楬文). Bao Zhao, known for his sharp social commentary, used this expression to criticize the morally corrupt who betrayed friends for personal gain, grouping such behavior alongside sycophantic flattery of the powerful. The work reflects his discontent with the social injustices and opportunism of his era.
💡 Example Usage
他为求功名不惜出卖挚友，终成贩交买名之徒，为人所不齿。
In pursuit of fame, he did not hesitate to betray his close friends, ultimately becoming a despicable person who sold friendship for reputation and was despised by all.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 贩交买名
- Pinyin: fàn jiāo mǎi míng
- Literal Translation: sell, friendship, buy, fame
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4