thế thiên hành đạo
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
to enforce the (moral) Way on behalf of Heaven, to take the law into one's own hands
Where it’s used:
Used
Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Examples
Mong rằng, chúng ta không còn phải nhiều lần vô tình hay cố tình trở thành người cổ xúy cho những hành vi “thế thiên hành đạo” như vậy.I hope we would no longer need to either unintentionally or intentionally encourage, on many occasions, such acts of “Enforcing the Way on behalf of Heaven”.
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Equivalents & related
Near equivalent
take the law into one's own hands
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
English
Near equivalent
thay trời hành đạo
to enforce the (moral) Way on behalf of Heaven, to take the law into one's own hands
Tiếng Việt · via take the law into one's own hands
Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.
Common questions
What does “thế thiên hành đạo” mean?
to enforce the (moral) Way on behalf of Heaven, to take the law into one's own hands
Is “thế thiên hành đạo” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“take the law into one's own hands” (English) — near equivalent.