违法乱纪 (wéi fǎ luàn jì) — to violate the law and break discipline (formal set phrase)

Definition

A formal four-character idiom meaning 'to break the law and violate discipline' — covers both legal and party/organizational rules. Used in official, written contexts like news and government notices.

idiom
to violate the law and break discipline (formal set phrase)

Examples

  • 违法乱纪。
    Rèn hé wéi fǎ luàn jì de xíng wéi dōu huì shòu dào yán sù chǔ lǐ.
    Any act that violates the law and breaks discipline will be dealt with seriously.
  • 违法乱纪。
    Tā yīn wèi wéi fǎ luàn jì bèi kāi chú le dǎng jí.
    He was expelled from the party for violating the law and breaking discipline.
  • 违法乱纪。
    Zhèng fǔ jiā dà le duì wéi fǎ luàn jì xíng wéi de dǎ jī lì dù.
    The government has increased its crackdown on acts that violate the law and break discipline.

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.

违法violate law
违wéiviolate法fǎlaw
动宾Verb + object
乱纪disrupt discipline
乱luàndisrupt纪jìdiscipline
动宾Verb + object

违法 means violating the law, and 乱纪 means breaking discipline; together they describe lawless misconduct.

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 違; 违 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
韋
韋wéi違wéi
Same sound today

The traditional form 違 pairs 辶, which shows walking, with 韋 to give the sound. The simplified 违 is a later shorthand.

Open 违 →

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 →

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 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →

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 紀; 纪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ紀jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 紀 pairs 糸, silk, with 己 as the sound part; the simplified 纪 is a shorthand.

Open 纪 →

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