Chinese word

无恶不作

Pronunciation

Pinyinwú è bù zuò

Meaning

idiomcommit all kinds of evil

Example

小孩子们都说那个坏人无恶不作。xiǎo hái zi men dōu shuō nà ge huài rén wú è bú zuò

The children all say that the bad man commits all kinds of evil acts.

Illustration for 无恶不作 (commit all kinds of evil)

More examples

警方称那名嫌疑人是个无恶不作的人。jǐng fāng chēng nà míng xián yí rén shì gè wú è bú zuò de rén

Police say that the suspect is a person who commits all kinds of evil.

Core concept

An unbroken pattern of wrongdoing that extends across every kind of bad act.

Common phrases

无恶不作的人wú è bú zuò de rén
a person who commits all kinds of evil
无恶不作的行径wú è bú zuò de xíng jìng
all kinds of evil conduct

Similar words

为非作歹wéi fēi zuò dǎi: Repeatedly carrying out bad or wrongful acts.
作恶多端zuò è duō duān: Having committed many evil acts over time.

Definition in Chinese

指做尽各种坏事，不停地犯下恶行。zhǐ zuò jǐn gè zhǒng huài shì bù tíng dì fàn xià è xíng

Word origin

无 (wú, "not have") + 恶 (è, "evil") + 不 (bù, "not") + 作 (zuò, "do") creates the structure "there is no evil act that is not done," giving the idiom its all-inclusive sense.

Usage tips

In conversational Chinese, this is a strong accusation rather than a casual way to call someone naughty, so it fits serious descriptions of a person's conduct.

Opposites

积善成德jī shàn chéng déaccumulate good deeds and build virtueidiom
助人为乐zhù rén wéi lètake pleasure in helping othersidiom