替天行道
tì tiān xíng dào
to act on Heaven’s behalf: to right wrongs that those in power will not
Character by character
替tì
in place of
in place of
天tiān
Heaven
Heaven
行xíng
carry out
carry out
道dào
the Way
the Way
Example
网上有些人自以为在替天行道，随便公开别人的隐私，其实已经违法了。
Some people online think they are acting on Heaven’s behalf when they publish other people’s private details, but in fact they are breaking the law.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
The motto on Liangshan’s apricot-yellow banner, meant in earnest in the novel. Today it is often ironic, of vigilantes and online mobs who make themselves judges.
Learn this in Lesson 250 · HSK 9+: 梁山好汉的绰号 (The nicknames of the Water Margin heroes)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →