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无法无天 (wú fǎ wú tiān) — lawless, reckless, without any respect for rules or authority

Definition

Idiom meaning 'outrageously lawless' — defying both human law and moral norms, stronger than simple 'badly behaved'. Used for people (often spoiled or powerful) who reject all rules and authority.

idiom
lawless, reckless, without any respect for rules or authority

Examples

  • 无法无天，。
    Nà ge hēi bāng lǎo dà wú fǎ wú tiān, lián jǐng chá dōu bú fàng zài yǎn lǐ.
    That gang boss is utterly lawless — he doesn't even care about the police.
  • 无法无天，。
    Zhè xiē hái zi bèi chǒng dé wú fǎ wú tiān, shuí de huà dōu bù tīng.
    These children have been spoiled so badly that they're completely unruly and listen to no one.
  • ，无法无天，。
    Tā zhàng zhe jiā lǐ yǒu qián, zuò shì wú fǎ wú tiān, chí zǎo huì chū shì.
    Relying on his family's wealth, he acts with total impunity — it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

无法without law
无wúlack法fǎlaw
动宾Verb + object
无天without heaven
无wúlack天tiānheaven
动宾Verb + object

“无法” means without law and “无天” means without heaven, together describing lawlessness.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesLaw & Justice

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