每天成语
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将功补过

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jiāng gōng bǔ guò
  • English Translation: To redeem oneself by making up for past mistakes with new achievements
  • Idiom Composition: 「将」（To use or by means of (prepositional usage in this context)）＋「功」（Merit, achievement, or contribution）＋「补」（To compensate, patch, or make up for）＋「过」（Fault, mistake, or error）
  • Meaning: To compensate for past errors, failures, or faults by performing meritorious deeds or achieving positive results.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「将功补过」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Process of Redemption: This idiom implies more than just a verbal apology; it requires taking active, tangible steps to produce 'merit' (positive results) to offset the 'fault' (negative results).
  • Granting Opportunity: It is often used in contexts where a superior or authority figure gives a subordinate a chance to 'clear their name' or 'wipe the slate clean' through future performance.

3. Usage

「将功补过」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Determination after failure: Used when acknowledging one's own mistake and expressing a strong will to succeed next time to balance the scales.
    • Example:「这次项目失败我有责任，请给我一次机会，我一定将功补过。」
      （I am responsible for the failure of this project; please give me another chance, and I will definitely make up for my mistake with future success.)
  • Granting leniency: Used when an authority figure chooses to give someone a chance to prove themselves rather than issuing a punishment.
    • Example:「老板决定不处罚他，而是让他负责新业务，希望能将功补过。」
      （The boss decided not to punish him but instead put him in charge of a new business line, hoping he would redeem himself through his performance.)
  • Sports and competition: Describes a situation where an athlete makes up for an earlier error (like a turnover or missed shot) with a later great play.
    • Example:「他在下半场进了一球，算是为上半场的失误将功补过了。」
      （He scored a goal in the second half, which can be seen as making up for his error in the first half.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 只要你肯努力工作，总有将功补过的一天。
    （As long as you are willing to work hard, there will eventually be a day when you can redeem yourself.）
  2. 为了将功补过，他主动申请去最艰苦的地方工作。
    （In order to atone for his mistakes, he volunteered to work in the most difficult location.）
  3. 虽然他犯了错，但考虑到他后来将功补过，表现优异，公司决定保留他的职位。
    （Although he made a mistake, the company decided to keep him in his position considering he later made amends through his achievements and performed excellently.）
  4. 别灰心，这次失利只是暂时的，下场比赛争取将功补过。
    （Don't lose heart; this defeat is only temporary. Strive to make up for it in the next game.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from historical texts such as the Book of Jin (晋书) in the biography of Wang Dun (王敦), which mentions 以功补过 (yǐ gōng bǔ guò), and the Han Dynasty historical record Han Ji (汉纪), which uses 计功补过 (jì gōng bǔ guò). Traditionally, in the Chinese civil service and military systems, there was a philosophy that one's failures could be pardoned if followed by significant contributions to the state.
  • In modern usage, the term is typically applied to less severe contexts like workplace errors or sports blunders rather than serious crimes. It carries a more positive, forward-looking nuance compared to 将功赎罪 (jiāng gōng shú zuì), which literally means 'to atone for a crime' and is used for much more serious legal or moral transgressions.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

将功补过 (jiāng gōng bǔ guò) describes the act of making amends for a mistake through proactive, positive action. It is a constructive idiom frequently used in professional, sports, or personal contexts where someone seeks a second chance to prove their worth after a failure.

Idiom Essay

jiāng gōng bǔ guò
将功补过
Redeem oneself by good deeds
fàn cuò犯错zhī hòu之后，chú le除了shuō说“duì bù qǐ对不起”，wǒ men我们hái还néng能zuò做shén me什么？

After making a mistake, what else can we do besides saying "I'm sorry"?

shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们nán miǎn难免huì会bǎ把shì qíng事情gǎo zá搞砸。

In life, it is inevitable that we will mess things up.

yě xǔ也许shì是zài在gōng zuò工作zhōng中nòng diū弄丢le了yí gè一个zhòng yào重要de的kè hù客户，yě xǔ也许shì是zài在tuán duì团队bǐ sài比赛zhōng中yīn wèi因为zì jǐ自己de的shī wù失误diū丢le了fēn分。

Maybe it's losing an important client at work, or losing points in a team competition because of your own mistake.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，dào qiàn道歉dāng rán当然shì是bì yào必要de的，dàn但dào qiàn道歉wǎng wǎng往往zhǐ néng只能biǎo dá表达tài dù态度，què却bù néng不能jiě jué解决wèn tí问题。

At this time, an apology is of course necessary, but an apology can often only express an attitude and cannot solve the problem.

xīn lǐ心里de的kuì jiù gǎn愧疚感，bìng并bú huì不会yīn wèi因为yī jù一句“duì bù qǐ对不起”jiù就wán quán完全xiāo shī消失。

The guilt in your heart will not completely disappear just because of a sentence of "I'm sorry".

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常jī jí积极de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来zhǐ yǐn指引zhè zhǒng这种shí kè时刻，jiào zuò叫做“jiāng gōng bǔ guò将功补过”。

In Chinese, there is a very positive idiom specifically used to guide such moments, called 将功补过.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很gōng zhěng工整。

The structure of this word is very neat.

“jiāng将”，zài在zhè lǐ这里shì是“ná拿”huò zhě或者“yòng用”de的yì si意思；“gōng功”，shì是zhǐ指gōng láo功劳、chéng guǒ成果；“bǔ补”，shì是xiū bǔ修补；“guò过”，jiù shì就是guò cuò过错。

将 here means "to take" or "to use"; 功 refers to merit or achievement; 补 means to mend; 过 is a mistake.

hé qǐ lái合起来de的yì si意思jiù shì就是：yòng用yǐ hòu以后de的gōng láo功劳，lái来mí bǔ弥补zhī qián之前de的guò cuò过错。

The combined meaning is: using future merits to make up for previous mistakes.

wǒ我hěn很xǐ huān喜欢zhè ge这个cí词lǐ里de的“bǔ补”zì字。

I really like the character 补 in this word.

tā它ràng让rén人xiǎng dào想到yī jiàn一件pò破le了dòng洞de的yī fú衣服。

It makes one think of a piece of clothing with a hole in it.

guò cuò过错jiù就xiàng像nà ge那个dòng洞，rú guǒ如果zhǐ shì只是dīng盯zhe着dòng洞kàn看，huò zhě或者zhǐ shì只是wèi为zhè ge这个dòng洞gǎn dào感到nán guò难过，yī fú衣服yǒng yuǎn永远shì是pò破de的。

A mistake is like that hole; if you just stare at the hole or just feel sad about it, the clothes will always be torn.

zhǐ yǒu只有ná chū拿出yī kuài一块xīn新de的bù liào布料——yě也jiù shì就是xīn新de的nǔ lì努力hé和chéng guǒ成果——bǎ把tā它bǔ shàng补上，zhè这jiàn件yī fú衣服cái néng才能chóng xīn重新wán zhěng完整。

Only by taking a new piece of fabric—that is, new efforts and results—to patch it up, can the clothes be complete again.

suǒ yǐ所以，“jiāng gōng bǔ guò将功补过”bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是zài在tán lùn谈论yuán liàng原谅，tā它qí shí其实shì是zài在tán lùn谈论yī zhǒng一种“jiāo huàn交换”hé和“xíng dòng行动”。

Therefore, 将功补过 is not just talking about forgiveness; it is actually talking about a kind of "exchange" and "action".

tā它tōng cháng通常chū xiàn出现zài在bǐ jiào比较yán sù严肃huò或zhèng shì正式de的chǎng hé场合。

It usually appears in more serious or formal occasions.

bǐ rú比如zài在zhí chǎng职场shàng上，rú guǒ如果nǐ你fàn犯le了cuò错，lǎo bǎn老板méi yǒu没有kāi chú开除nǐ你，ér shì而是ràng让nǐ你qù去fù zé负责yí gè一个xīn新de的、gèng更nán难de的xiàng mù项目，zhè这qí shí其实jiù shì就是gěi给nǐ你yí gè一个“jiāng gōng bǔ guò将功补过”de的jī huì机会。

For example, in the workplace, if you make a mistake and your boss doesn't fire you but instead lets you take charge of a new, more difficult project, this is actually giving you a chance to 将功补过.

tā它chuán dì传递chū出yī zhǒng一种fēi cháng非常chéng shú成熟de的jià zhí guān价值观：cuò wù错误yǐ jīng已经fā shēng发生le了，wǒ men我们wú fǎ无法gǎi biàn改变guò qù过去，dàn但wǒ men我们kě yǐ可以tōng guò通过chuàng zào创造xīn新de的jià zhí价值，lái来píng héng平衡diào掉nà ge那个cuò wù错误dài lái带来de的sǔn shī损失。

It conveys a very mature value: the mistake has already happened, and we cannot change the past, but we can balance the loss caused by that mistake by creating new value.

zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种hěn很yǒu有lì liàng力量de的tài dù态度。

This is a very powerful attitude.

tā它chéng rèn承认le了yí hàn遗憾de的cún zài存在，dàn但jù jué拒绝tíng liú停留zài在yí hàn遗憾lǐ里。

It acknowledges the existence of regret but refuses to stay stuck in it.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己huò zhě或者shēn biān身边de的rén人fàn犯le了cuò错，xiàn rù陷入zì zé自责de的shí hòu时候，yě xǔ也许kě yǐ可以xiǎng想yī xiǎng一想zhè ge这个cí词。

Next time, when you find yourself or someone around you making a mistake and falling into self-blame, maybe you can think of this word.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：bǐ比dào qiàn道歉gèng更zhòng yào重要de的，shì是jiē xià lái接下来de的xíng dòng行动。

It reminds us that what is more important than an apology is the action that follows.

zhǐ yào只要hái yǒu还有jī huì机会qù去nǔ lì努力，nà ge那个cuò wù错误de的quē kǒu缺口，zǒng总yǒu有yī tiān一天shì是kě yǐ可以bèi被tián píng填平de的。

As long as there is still a chance to work hard, the gap left by that mistake can always be filled one day.

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