莫须有

莫須有

mòxūyǒu

adjective #16,743

Meanings

1 groundless; baseless; fabricated
2 unwarranted (accusation)

Characters

to have; to exist

Literally 'perhaps there is' or 'need not have' — a deliberately vague accusation with no proof.

Examples

这完全是莫须有的罪名。

Zhè wánquán shì mòxūyǒu de zuìmíng.

This is a completely fabricated charge.

别用莫须有的理由来指责我。

Bié yòng mòxūyǒu de lǐyóu lái zhǐzé wǒ.

Don't accuse me with baseless reasons.

Tips

history

From the Song dynasty — when general Yue Fei (岳飞) was framed for treason, fellow general Han Shizhong (韩世忠) demanded proof. The conspirator Qin Hui (秦桧) replied '莫须有' — 'perhaps there is.' This became the classic expression for trumped-up charges.

Stroke Order

莫 mò

须 xū

有 yǒu