每天成语
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情有可原

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qíng yǒu kě yuán
  • English Translation: Excusable in light of the circumstances (extenuating circumstances)
  • Idiom Composition: 「情」（Circumstances, situation, or human feelings）＋「有」（To have; there is）＋「可」（Can; may; to be able to）＋「原」（To forgive or pardon (specifically referring to 宥原 yòuyuán)）
  • Meaning: A phrase used to indicate that although a mistake or wrongdoing has occurred, there are sympathetic reasons or background circumstances that make the act understandable or worthy of pardon.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「情有可原」 contains the following nuances:

  • Precondition of a mistake: This idiom is only used when a mistake, failure, or wrongdoing has occurred. It is not used in situations where everything is going perfectly.
  • Extenuating circumstances: It emphasizes that there are sympathetic reasons, such as 'I had no choice' or 'I didn't know,' which mitigate the blame.
  • Nuance of tolerance: It does not mean the action was 'right' or 'correct.' Rather, it indicates an attitude of tolerance: 'I can understand why you did it' or 'Let's be lenient this time.'

3. Usage

「情有可原」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Defending a mistake: Used when someone makes an error due to lack of experience or an emergency, suggesting that the punishment should be lightened.
    • Example:「他是第一次处理这种业务，出现失误也是情有可原的。」
      （Since it is his first time handling this type of business, his mistake is excusable.)
  • Explaining lateness or absence: Used to seek understanding when a commitment is broken due to force majeure, such as traffic or sudden illness.
    • Example:「因为突发暴雨导致迟到，这属于情有可原。」
      （Being late because of a sudden rainstorm is understandable given the circumstances.)
  • Legal or ethical judgment: A more formal usage in legal or moral debates to argue that the motive justifies a lighter sentence.
    • Example:「虽然他违反了规定，但考虑到是为了救人，实在情有可原。」
      （Although he violated the regulations, considering it was to save a life, it is truly pardonable.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 不知者不罪，他不知道这个规矩，犯错也是情有可原。
    （They say ignorance is no crime; if he didn't know the rules, his mistake is understandable.）
  2. 如果你是因为生病没来，那还情有可原，但你明明是去玩了。
    （If you didn't come because you were sick, that would be excusable, but you clearly went out to have fun.）
  3. 虽然这种行为情有可原，但毕竟造成了损失，还是需要赔偿。
    （Although this behavior is pardonable, since damage was caused after all, compensation is still necessary.）
  4. 他在巨大的压力下说了重话，我觉得情有可原。
    （He said some harsh words under immense pressure; I think it's understandable.）
  5. 法官认为被告的犯罪动机情有可原，因此从轻判决。
    （The judge recognized that there were extenuating circumstances for the defendant's motive and gave a lighter sentence.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: The phrase originates from the Book of the Later Han (后汉书) in the biography of Huo Xu (霍谞). It was originally written as 情既可原 (qíng jì kě yuán) in a petition to defend someone who had been falsely accused.
  • Law vs. Emotion: Chinese culture often seeks a balance between Law (法 - fǎ) and Human Sentiment/Circumstances (情 - qíng). While there is a saying 法不容情 (fǎ bù róng qíng) meaning 'the law does not recognize personal feelings,' 情有可原 (qíng yǒu kě yuán) represents the more humane side of judgment where context is valued.
  • Frequency: This is a very common idiom used in everything from casual conversations to news reports and legal discussions. Invoking this phrase is a common way to de-escalate anger or seek a reduction in penalties.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 情有可原 (qíng yǒu kě yuán) is used to defend or show understanding toward someone who has made a mistake. It suggests that while the action wasn't strictly correct, the situation surrounding it justifies a degree of leniency. It is frequently used in daily life to say 'it couldn't be helped' or in formal contexts to argue for a lighter punishment.

Idiom Essay

qíng yǒu kě yuán
情有可原
Excusable Circumstances
hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们pàn duàn判断yī jiàn一件shì qíng事情，xí guàn习惯yòng用“duì对”huò zhě或者“cuò错”zhè这yī bǎ一把chǐ zi尺子qù去héng liáng衡量。

Many times, when we judge a matter, we are used to measuring it with the single ruler of "right" or "wrong".

chí dào迟到le了jiù shì就是chí dào迟到le了，fàn cuò犯错jiù shì就是fàn cuò犯错，guī zé规则sì hū似乎yīng gāi应该shì是bīng lěng冰冷ér而jiān yìng坚硬de的。

Being late is being late, and making a mistake is making a mistake; rules seem like they should be cold and hard.

dàn shì但是，shēng huó生活wǎng wǎng往往bǐ比guī zé规则gèng更fù zá复杂。

However, life is often more complex than rules.

rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人chí dào迟到，shì是yīn wèi因为tā他zài在lù shàng路上bāng zhù帮助le了yī wèi一位shuāi dǎo摔倒de的lǎo rén老人；rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人méi yǒu没有wán chéng完成gōng zuò工作，shì是yīn wèi因为jiā lǐ家里tū rán突然fā shēng发生le了jí shì急事。

If someone is late because they helped an elderly person who fell on the road, or if someone didn't finish their work because of a sudden family emergency.

zhè shí hòu这时候，rú guǒ如果wǒ men我们hái还zhǐ shì只是lěng lěng冷冷dì地shuō说yī jù一句“nǐ你wéi fǎn违反le了guī dìng规定”，sì hū似乎jiù就xiǎn de显得tài太bù jìn rén qíng不近人情le了。

In these moments, if we only coldly say "you broke the rules," it seems far too heartless.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常wēn nuǎn温暖de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来chǔ lǐ处理zhè zhǒng这种“guī zé规则”yǔ与“rén qíng人情”zhī jiān之间de的chōng tū冲突，jiào zuò叫做“qíng yǒu kě yuán情有可原”。

In Chinese, there is a very warm idiom specifically used to handle this conflict between "rules" and "human feelings" called 情有可原.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很yǒu有luó jí逻辑。

The structure of this word is very logical.

“qíng情”，zhǐ指de的shì是shì qíng事情de的jù tǐ具体qíng kuàng情况，huò zhě或者rén人de的cháng qíng常情；“yuán原”，shì是yuán liàng原谅。

情 refers to the specific circumstances of the matter or common human feelings; 原 means to forgive.

hé合qǐ lái起来de的yì si意思jiù shì就是：suī rán虽然cóng从jié guǒ结果kàn看，zhè这jiàn件shì事zuò做cuò错le了，dàn但rú guǒ如果kàn kàn看看dāng shí当时de的jù tǐ具体qíng kuàng情况，zhè zhǒng这种cuò wù错误shì是kě yǐ可以bèi被yuán liàng原谅de的。

Put together, it means: although the result shows the action was wrong, if you look at the specific situation at the time, the mistake can be forgiven.

“qíng yǒu kě yuán情有可原”zhè ge这个cí词，tǐ xiàn体现le了zhōng guó中国wén huà文化zhōng中yī zhǒng一种hěn很zhòng yào重要de的zhì huì智慧：tā它bù不zhuī qiú追求jué duì绝对de的hēi bái fēn míng黑白分明，ér shì而是gěi给“lǐ jiě理解”liú留chū出le了kōng jiān空间。

The term 情有可原 embodies an important wisdom in Chinese culture: it does not pursue absolute black and white, but leaves space for "understanding".

tā它bìng并bù不dài biǎo代表cuò wù错误bù不cún zài存在，ér shì而是dài biǎo代表wǒ men我们yuàn yì愿意qù去lǐ jiě理解cuò wù错误bèi hòu背后de的kǔ zhōng苦衷。

It does not mean the mistake does not exist, but rather that we are willing to understand the difficulties behind the mistake.

bǐ rú比如，dāng当nǐ你de的péng yǒu朋友yīn wèi因为jù dà巨大de的yā lì压力ér而duì对nǐ你fā le pí qì发了脾气，shì hòu事后tā他fēi cháng非常hòu huǐ后悔。

For example, when your friend loses their temper with you due to immense pressure and feels very regretful afterward.

suī rán虽然bèi被hǒu吼de的gǎn jué感觉bù hǎo shòu不好受，dàn但nǐ你kě néng可能huì会xiǎng想：tā他píng shí平时bú shì不是zhè yàng这样de的rén人，zuì jìn最近què shí确实tài太lèi累le了。

Although being yelled at doesn't feel good, you might think: he isn't usually like this, and he really has been too tired lately.

zhè shí hòu这时候，tā他de的shī tài失态，jiù shì就是“qíng yǒu kě yuán情有可原”de的。

At this time, his loss of composure is 情有可原.

xué huì学会shǐ yòng使用zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语，qí shí其实shì是xué huì学会le了yī zhǒng一种gèng更kuān róng宽容de的yǎn guāng眼光。

Learning to use this idiom is actually learning a more tolerant perspective.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，zài在píng pàn评判bié rén别人zhī qián之前，xiān先tíng xià lái停下来kàn yī kàn看一看tā他suǒ chù所处de的huán jìng环境。

It reminds us to stop and look at the environment the other person is in before judging them.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你bù dé bù不得不miàn duì面对yí gè一个bié rén别人de的guò shī过失，dàn但xīn lǐ心里yòu又jué de觉得néng gòu能够lǐ jiě理解tā他de的nán chǔ难处shí时，bù fáng不妨yòng用shàng上zhè ge这个cí词。

Next time, when you have to face someone else's fault but feel in your heart that you can understand their difficulties, you might as well use this word.

tā它néng能ràng让nǐ你de的biǎo dá表达，zài在jiǎng讲dào lǐ道理de的tóng shí同时，duō多yī fèn一份rén人de的wēn dù温度。

It allows your expression to have a touch of human warmth while still being reasonable.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '情有可原'!

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