Definition
贪赃枉法 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) meaning 'to take bribes and pervert justice' — it describes a corrupt official who abuses their position for personal gain. The literal breakdown is 贪 (greedy for) + 赃 (stolen goods/bribes) + 枉 (to twist/distort) + 法 (law). You'll encounter this in news reports about corruption cases, historical texts, and formal discussions of government integrity. It's a set phrase — you don't break it apart or insert words between the characters.
f.e.
to take bribes and pervert justice (said of corrupt officials)
Examples
- 贪赃枉法。Zhège guānyuán yīnwèi tān zāng wǎng fǎ bèi kāichú le.This official was expelled for taking bribes and perverting justice.
- 贪赃枉法。tān zāng wǎng fǎ de xíngwéi yánzhòng sǔnhài le zhèngfǔ de xíngxiàng.The act of taking bribes and perverting justice severely damaged the government's image.
- 贪赃枉法。Fǎlǜ jué bù róngrěn tān zāng wǎng fǎ de guānyuán.The law absolutely will not tolerate officials who take bribes and pervert justice.
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