胆大妄为 (dǎn dà wàng wéi) — (idiom) foolhardy, reckless, daring without regard for consequences

Definition

Negative chengyu meaning 'recklessly bold' — not just brave, but courage crossed into folly that ignores consequences.

idiom
foolhardy, reckless, daring without regard for consequences

Examples

  • 胆大妄为，。
    Tā zhè zhǒng xíng wéi jiǎn zhí shì dǎn dà wàng wéi, wán quán bú gù hòu guǒ.
    This behavior of his is simply reckless, completely ignoring the consequences.
  • ，胆大妄为。
    Nián qīng rén yǒu yǒng qì shì hǎo shì, dàn bù néng dǎn dà wàng wéi.
    It's good for young people to have courage, but they shouldn't be foolhardy.
  • 胆大妄为，。
    Nà ge jiāng jūn yīn dǎn dà wàng wéi ér zhàn bài, sǔn shī cǎn zhòng.
    That general was defeated because of his recklessness and suffered heavy losses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

胆大courage is big
胆dǎncourage大dàbig
主谓Subject + predicate
妄为act recklessly
妄wàngreckless为wèiact
偏正Modifier + head

胆 is courage or guts, 大 means big, 妄 means reckless, and 为 means act; together they describe bold guts and reckless action.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn胆dǎn
Same sound today

胆 combines ⺼, written as 肉 when full, for a body part, with 旦 as a sound part.

Open 胆 →

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng妄wàng
Same sound today

妄 combines 亡, which supplies the sound, with 女, a woman.

Open 妄 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.