📖 Meaning
好善恶恶 means to love and uphold what is good while detesting and rejecting what is evil. It describes a person of clear moral conviction who prizes virtue and is repelled by wrongdoing. The idiom captures the ideal of firm moral judgment and upright character.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in Chapter 73 of the Qing-dynasty novel Shuō Yuè Quán Zhuàn (The Complete Story of Yue Fei), attributed to Qian Cai and written in the eighteenth century. The line reads, "好善恶恶，人人如此" (To love good and hate evil is how everyone should be). Though the phrase echoes older classical sentiments on moral discernment, this novel — which celebrates the patriotic Song general Yue Fei and condemns treachery — is the source cited for the idiom, framing it as a universal moral standard.
💡 Example Usage
他生性好善恶恶，见不义之事必定挺身而出。
By nature he loves good and hates evil, and he never hesitates to stand up against injustice.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 好善恶恶
- Pinyin: hǎo shàn wù è
- Literal Translation: love good, hate evil
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4