📖 Meaning
To murder and commit arson — utterly lawless, violent criminal behavior. The idiom describes outlaws or villains who act with total disregard for law and human life. It is used figuratively to condemn any act of extreme violence and brutality.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in the second act of the Yuan-dynasty anonymous zaju play Huanghuayu (《黄花峪》): 'Hearing that killing and burning are his specialty, displaying his heroic might.' It also appears in the Qing-dynasty novel The Complete Story of Yue Fei (《说岳全传》, chapter 55) by Qian Cai, where it describes a man who lived by murder and arson before being taken into service under General Yang. From these works, the phrase came to stand for the deeds of lawless bandits and violent criminals.
💡 Example Usage
那伙暴徒杀人放火，做尽恶事。
That gang of thugs killed people and set fires, committing every kind of evil.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 杀人放火
- Pinyin: shā rén fàng huǒ
- Literal Translation: kill people, set fire
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4