📖 Meaning
Once a decree or command is spoken, the law follows immediately behind it. It means that laws and orders, once promulgated, are to be strictly enforced without exception, and any violation will be met with legal punishment.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a 1938 proclamation jointly issued by Mao Zedong on behalf of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government and the Eighth Route Army Rear Guard. The proclamation sternly warned that any lawless elements daring to plot disturbances would face immediate legal consequences, stating 'this government and office shall see that the law follows upon the heels of the decree.' It was used to assert the government's absolute authority and resolve to uphold order during the war period.
💡 Example Usage
政府已发布公告，言出法随，违者严惩不贷。
The government has issued a proclamation; once decreed, the law follows strictly, and violators will be punished without mercy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 言出法随
- Pinyin: yán chū fǎ suí
- Literal Translation: word, issue, law, follow
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4