以儆效尤

yǐjǐng-xiàoyóu

idiom #44,140

Meanings

HSK 5

对违法者严加处罚，以儆效尤。

Duì wéifǎ zhě yánjiā chǔfá, yǐjǐng-xiàoyóu.

Lawbreakers should be severely punished as a warning to others.

HSK 7-9

公司开除了那名员工，以儆效尤。

Gōngsī kāichú le nà míng yuángōng, yǐjǐng-xiàoyóu.

The company fired that employee to make an example of him.

history

Echoes 《左传·庄公二十一年》: 郑伯效尤，其亦将有咎 - 'Lord of Zheng imitated wrongdoing; he too will face consequences.' 效尤 = imitate wrongdoing; 儆 = to warn.

mistakes

Don't write 以警效尤 - the correct character is 儆 (to warn, admonish), not the more common 警.

以 yǐ

儆 jǐng

效 xiào

尤 yóu