📖 Meaning
To use one's merits or good deeds to compensate for a past mistake. It describes someone trying to redeem themselves after an error by contributing something positive. It is a variant of the more common idiom 将功折罪.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the more common 将功折罪, with which it shares the same structure and meaning. The underlying idea of redeeming faults through merit is an ancient one in Chinese legal and military culture, where a wrongdoer could be pardoned for performing a valuable service. The expression 将功折罪 is frequently found in Yuan dynasty zaju drama and Ming vernacular novels, such as 吴承恩's 《西游记》. No single classical text is cited as the exclusive origin of 将功折过 itself.
💡 Example Usage
他主动承认错误，希望将功折过。
He admitted his mistake on his own initiative, hoping to redeem himself through good deeds.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 将功折过
- Pinyin: jiāng gōng shé guò
- Literal Translation: take, merit, offset, fault
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4