📖 Meaning
To go along with others' mistakes out of favoritism and cover up their errors. It describes someone who, out of personal bias or relationship, indulges the faults of others and tries to conceal or gloss over their wrongdoings rather than holding them accountable.
📜 Origin Story
No specific literary origin is recorded for this idiom. It is constructed from the characters 顺 (to comply or accommodate), 过 (fault), 饰 (to cover up), and 非 (wrong), forming a compound expression alongside the well-known idiom 文过饰非. It reflects a traditional Chinese moral concern about the dangers of concealing mistakes out of personal favor rather than addressing them honestly.
💡 Example Usage
作为主管，他顺过饰非，对下属的过失百般掩饰，最终酿成大错。
As a manager, he went along with and covered up his subordinates' mistakes, ultimately leading to a major disaster.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 顺过饰非
- Pinyin: shùn guò shì fēi
- Literal Translation: accommodate faults, cover up wrongs
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4