📖 Meaning
To expose hidden wrongdoers and uncover concealed crimes. It describes someone with a remarkable ability to bring secret misdeeds to light, often used to praise an official or detective whose investigative skill seems almost supernatural.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Book of Han (汉书), in the Biography of Zhao Guanghan (赵广汉传). Zhao Guanghan was a celebrated official of the Western Han dynasty who served as governor of Jingzhao (京兆尹). The historian Ban Gu recorded that 'his exposing of villains and uncovering of hidden crimes was like that of a god' (其发奸擿伏如神). The expression later became a standard tribute to upright officials whose discernment of concealed wrongdoing was thought to border on the divine.
💡 Example Usage
他办案如神，发奸擿伏，深受百姓爱戴。
He solved cases with uncanny skill, exposing hidden villains and uncovering concealed crimes, and was deeply beloved by the common people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 发奸擿伏
- Pinyin: fā jiān tì fú
- Literal Translation: expose wicked, uncover hidden
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4