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撥亂反正

简拨乱反正 · 繁撥亂反正

Mandarin · pinyin bō luàn fǎn zhèng

bring order out of chaos
set to rights things which have been thrown into disorder

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Characters in this entry

撥: Look up this written character
亂: Look up this written character
反: fǎn · reverse, opposite, contrary, anti
正: zhèng · right, proper, correct
拨: bō · move; dispel; distribute
乱: luàn · confusion, state of chaos, revolt

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4–3–4 · bo1 luan4 fan3 zheng4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

撥亂反正 · find source passages ↗ · 拨乱反正 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

but6 lyun6 faan2 zing3

Cantonese word readings for 撥亂反正. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to bring order out of chaos; to set right what have been thrown into disorder; to restore justice

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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