📖 Meaning
Evil or wicked forces cannot overcome or cut down righteous integrity. It expresses the conviction that moral uprightness is inherently stronger than wrongdoing and will ultimately withstand any attack. The idiom is synonymous with the more common 邪不犯正.
📜 Origin Story
The precise literary origin of this idiom is not recorded in classical texts, though it is synonymous with the better-documented 邪不犯正. The concept stems from ancient Chinese philosophical traditions that emphasized the ultimate triumph of virtue over vice. It reflects the Confucian and Daoist belief in a natural moral order where righteousness inherently withstands corruption. The variant 邪不伐正 uses the character 伐 (to attack or fell) to emphasize the image of evil attempting but failing to cut down what is upright.
💡 Example Usage
只要心中有正气，邪不伐正，何惧之有？
As long as there is righteousness in your heart, evil cannot fell the upright — what is there to fear?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 邪不伐正
- Pinyin: xié bù fá zhèng
- Literal Translation: evil, not, fell, righteous
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4