Definition
为非作歹 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to do all kinds of evil' or 'to commit every crime imaginable'. It describes someone who habitually engages in wicked or illegal acts, often with a sense of brazenness. The literal breakdown — 为 (do), 非 (wrong), 作 (commit), 歹 (evil) — reinforces the idea of repeatedly doing bad things. Use it to condemn someone's behavior or to describe a villain in stories.
f.e.
to do all kinds of evilto commit every crime
Examples
- 为非作歹，。Zhège èbà zài cūn lǐ wéi fēi zuò dǎi, méi rén gǎn guǎn.This bully did all kinds of evil in the village, and no one dared to stop him.
- ，为非作歹。Xiǎoshuō lǐ de fǎnpài wú è bú zuò, wéi fēi zuò dǎi le yí bèizi.The villain in the novel committed every crime and did evil his whole life.
- 为非作歹，。Tāmen wéi fēi zuò dǎi, zuìzhōng shòudào le fǎlǜ de yán chéng.They committed all kinds of evil and were finally severely punished by the law.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.