胡作非為

Chinese

		barbarian; recklessly; surname	to regard as; to take (someone) for; to do to regard as; to take (someone) for; to do; to make	(be) not; wrong; blame (be) not; wrong; blame; Africa	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become
trad. (胡作非為/胡作非爲)		胡	作	非	為/爲
simp. (胡作非为)		胡	作	非	为

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): húzuòfēiwéi

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨˊ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄈㄟ ㄨㄟˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wu⁴ zok³ fei¹ wai⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hô͘-chok-hui-ûi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): hu⁵ zag⁴ hui¹ ui⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: húzuòfēiwéi
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨˊ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄈㄟ ㄨㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: húzuòfeiwéi
    • Wade–Giles: hu²-tso⁴-fei¹-wei²
    • Yale: hú-dzwò-fēi-wéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwutzuohfeiwei
    • Palladius: хуцзофэйвэй (xuczofɛjvɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu³⁵ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ weɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wu⁴ zok³ fei¹ wai⁴
    • Yale: wùh jok fēi wàih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wu⁴ dzok⁸ fei¹ wai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: wu⁴ zog³ féi¹ wei⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wuː²¹ t͡sɔːk̚³ fei̯⁵⁵ wɐi̯²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hô͘-chok-hui-ûi
    • Tâi-lô: hôo-tsok-hui-uî
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hozokhui'uii
    • IPA (Taipei): /hɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sɔk̚³²⁻⁴ hui⁴⁴⁻³³ ui²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hɔ²³⁻³³ t͡sɔk̚³²⁻⁴ hui⁴⁴⁻³³ ui²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: hu⁵ zag⁴ hui¹ ui⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hû tsak hui ûi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hu⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sak̚² hui³³⁻²³ ui⁵⁵/

Idiom

胡作非為

1. to disregard rules and do evil as one pleases; to act wildly in defiance or public opinion or the law

   • 你我既然要成全這個女孩兒，豈有由他胡作非為、身入空門之理？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     你我既然要成全这个女孩儿，岂有由他胡作非为、身入空门之理？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wenkang, Ernü Yingxiongzhuan, 1878 CE

     Nǐwǒ jìrán yào chéngquán zhège nǚhái'ér, qǐ yǒu yóu tā húzuòfēiwèi, shēn rù kōngmén zhī lǐ? [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 委的沒有賭博，小的是經過老爺教訓過的，再不敢胡作非為。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     委的没有赌博，小的是经过老爷教训过的，再不敢胡作非为。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 《歧路燈》第六五回

     Wěide méiyǒu dǔbó, xiǎode shì jīngguò lǎoyé jiàoxùn guò de, zài bùgǎn húzuòfēiwèi. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Synonyms

• (Hokkien) 瘄污污
• 橫行霸道／横行霸道 (héngxíngbàdào)
• 肆無忌憚／肆无忌惮 (sìwújìdàn)
• 無法無天／无法无天 (wúfǎwútiān)
• 違法亂紀／违法乱纪 (wéifǎluànjì)
• 為非作歹／为非作歹 (wéifēizuòdǎi)
• 妄作胡為／妄作胡为

Antonyms

• 安分守己 (ānfènshǒujǐ)
• 循規蹈矩／循规蹈矩 (xúnguīdǎojǔ)

Related terms

• 橫行／横行 (héngxíng)

References

• “Entry #82790”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.