姑息养奸 — “To indulge and foster evil; to tolerate and nourish wickedness”
姑息养奸 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to tolerate wrongdoing or evil only allows it to flourish and cause more harm; to condone evil is to encourage its growth”. Literally, “To indulge and foster evil; to tolerate and nourish wickedness”.
Frequency
姑息养奸 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 姑gū
- 息xī
- 养yǎng
- 奸jiān
姑息养奸 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 姑息养奸
对于孩子的小错误，一味地姑息养奸只会让他们以后犯更大的错误。
Constantly condoning a child's minor mistakes will only encourage them to make bigger ones in the future.
Origin and Story of 姑息养奸
Once upon a time, in Yongzhou, there was a man who was particularly fond of rats. He forbade his family and subordinates from catching them, allowing them to run rampant in his house, gnawing through granaries and clothes. He also frequently provided food for the rats.
Soon, large groups of rats from nearby gathered at his home, causing a severe rat infestation. His neighbors deeply resented his behavior of condoning and fostering evil.
Idioms Related to 姑息养奸
Synonyms of 姑息养奸
Antonyms of 姑息养奸
Questions about 姑息养奸
- What does 姑息养奸 mean?
- 姑息养奸 (gū xī yǎng jiān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to tolerate wrongdoing or evil only allows it to flourish and cause more harm; to condone evil is to encourage its growth”.
- How do you pronounce 姑息养奸?
- 姑息养奸 is pronounced gū xī yǎng jiān in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 姑息养奸 literally mean?
- Literally, 姑息养奸 means “to indulge and foster evil; to tolerate and nourish wickedness”. It is used to mean “to tolerate wrongdoing or evil only allows it to flourish and cause more harm; to condone evil is to encourage its growth”.
- Where does 姑息养奸 come from?
- 姑息养奸 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 姑息养奸?
- 姑息：为求苟安，无原则地宽容；养：助长；奸：坏人坏事。无原则地宽容，只会助长坏人作恶。