乘人之危

• Pinyin: chéng rén zhī wēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 乘 = to ride/exploit; 人 = person; 之 = possessive particle; 危 = danger/peril

Meaning

To take advantage of someone's misfortune; to exploit someone in their moment of weakness.

A four-character idiom with negative connotations. Describes opportunistically exploiting others when they are vulnerable, in trouble, or at a disadvantage. Considered morally reprehensible behavior.

Examples

1. 趁人家公司破产乘人之危收购，这种做法太不道德了。 Taking advantage of a company's bankruptcy to acquire it is too unethical.
2. 他从不乘人之危，反而经常帮助有困难的人。 He never exploits others in their moment of weakness; instead, he often helps those in difficulty.
3. 在别人最困难的时候乘人之危，这种人不值得交往。 People who take advantage of others at their most difficult times are not worth associating with.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, ethics, business

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 这是乘人之危的行为，我坚决反对。(This is taking advantage of others' misfortune; I firmly oppose it.)
• 君子不乘人之危。(A gentleman does not exploit others in their time of need.)

Don't Say

• 我乘人之危帮助他 (Contradictory — 乘人之危 is always negative and cannot describe helping others)

Origin & History

Classical idiom: 乘 (take advantage of) + 人 (person) + 之 (possessive particle) + 危 (danger). From ancient texts warning against exploiting others' vulnerabilities.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal