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伤天害理 (shāng tiān hài lǐ) — to commit heinous acts; to do something extremely wicked and against moral principles

Definition

Strong four-character idiom meaning 'heinous, utterly immoral' — used to condemn acts that violate both heaven (天道) and human reason. Used in formal writing or solemn condemnation, heavier than everyday words like 坏 or 缺德.

idiom
to commit heinous actsto do something extremely wicked and against moral principles

Examples

  • ，伤天害理。
    Wèi le lì yì, tā jū rán zuò chū zhè zhǒng shāng tiān hài lǐ de shì.
    For the sake of profit, he actually did such a heinous thing.
  • 伤天害理，。
    Nà xiē shāng tiān hài lǐ de xíng wéi, zhōng jiū huì zāo dào bào yìng.
    Those wicked acts will eventually face retribution.
  • 伤天害理。
    Cūn lǐ rén dōu qiǎn zé tā shāng tiān hài lǐ de zuò fǎ.
    Villagers all condemned his immoral practices.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

伤天harm heaven
伤shāngharm天tiānheaven
动宾Verb + object
害理harm moral principles
害hàiharm理lǐmoral principles
动宾Verb + object

伤天 'harm heaven' and 害理 'harm moral principles' together describe acts against all morality.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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