📖 Meaning
To help and defend the weak while restraining and opposing the powerful and oppressive. It describes a chivalrous sense of justice in which one protects the vulnerable from exploitation. The phrase embodies the traditional Chinese ideal of righteousness and standing up against bullying.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom reflects a longstanding moral ideal in Chinese culture rooted in the tradition of knight-errantry (侠义) and Confucian justice. The concept of defending the weak and curbing the strong recurs throughout classical literature, most notably in the Ming dynasty novel 'Water Margin' (水浒传), which celebrates heroes who fight injustice. While there is no single canonical source text, the phrase distills a virtue celebrated across dynasties. It remains a common expression for righteous, protective conduct.
💡 Example Usage
《水浒传》中塑造了许多扶弱抑强的英雄形象。
"Water Margin" portrays many heroic figures who help the weak and stand up to the powerful.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 扶弱抑强
- Pinyin: fú ruò yì qiáng
- Literal Translation: support the weak, suppress the strong
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4