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离经叛道 (lí jīng pàn dào) — to depart from established norms; heretical, unconventional (often disapprovingly)

Definition

A set phrase (chengyu) meaning to reject classical norms and go one's own way — strongly disapproving tone, stronger than unconventional choices. Treats the departure as heresy, not just creativity.

verb
to depart from established normshereticalunconventional (often disapprovingly)

Examples

  • 离经叛道，。
    Tā de sī xiǎng zài dāng shí bèi rèn wéi lí jīng pàn dào, dàn hòu lái què chéng le zhǔ liú.
    His ideas were considered heretical at the time, but later became mainstream.
  • 离经叛道。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō yīn wèi lí jīng pàn dào de nèi róng bèi jìn zhǐ chū bǎn.
    This novel was banned from publication because of its unorthodox content.
  • 离经叛道，。
    Tā jiān chí lí jīng pàn dào de chuàng zuò fēng gé, bù yíng hé shì chǎng kǒu wèi.
    He insists on a heretical creative style and does not cater to market tastes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

离经depart from the classics
离lídepart经jīngclassics
动宾Verb + object
叛道rebel against the way
叛pànrebel道dàoway
动宾Verb + object

离经 means departing from the classics and 叛道 means rebelling against the way; together they mean rejecting orthodoxy.

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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
反反fǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn叛pàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

叛 pairs 反 as its meaning part with 半 as its sound part.

Open 叛 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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