# 明知故犯

míng zhī gù fàn

Knowingly violate a rule

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Know clearly and commit deliberately

**Register:** Critical · general

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Describe misconduct despite understanding the restriction.

Knowledge must be established; honest mistakes are different.

## Understanding the expression

The expression adds clear prior knowledge to the act of violation. A person understands a rule or warning but chooses to break it anyway. This often makes the conduct seem more blameworthy than an accidental mistake. The rule should be identifiable, and the person's awareness should not simply be assumed. A useful sentence shows an earlier reminder or acknowledgment, making the difference between deliberate disregard and lack of information concrete and fair.

## Examples

他明知不能停车，却明知故犯。

### Traditional Chinese

他明知不能停車，卻明知故犯。

tā míng zhī bù néng tíng chē ， què míng zhī gù fàn 。

He knowingly parked where parking was prohibited.

安全规则讲过多次，她仍明知故犯。

### Traditional Chinese

安全規則講過多次，她仍明知故犯。

ān quán guī zé jiǎng guò duō cì ， tā réng míng zhī gù fàn 。

She broke the safety rule despite repeated explanations.

误操作不一定是明知故犯。

### Traditional Chinese

誤操作不一定是明知故犯。

wù cāo zuò bù yí dìng shì míng zhī gù fàn 。

An operating error is not necessarily deliberate.

公司明知故犯，继续使用过期许可证。

### Traditional Chinese

公司明知故犯，繼續使用過期許可證。

gōng sī míng zhī gù fàn ， jì xù shǐ yòng guò qī xǔ kě zhèng 。

The company knowingly continued using an expired permit.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%98%8E%E7%9F%A5%E6%95%85%E7%8A%AF)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=668&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [莫衷一是 mò zhōng yī shì Fail to agree on a single conclusion ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/mo-zhong-yi-shi)

- [南辕北辙 nán yuán běi zhé Move in a direction opposite to your goal ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/nan-yuan-bei-zhe)

- [弄巧成拙 nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō Make things worse by trying to be clever ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/nong-qiao-cheng-zhuo)

- [蚍蜉撼树 pí fú hàn shù Overestimate one’s ability against something far stronger ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/pi-fu-han-shu)

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