从犯 (cóng fàn) — accessory (to a crime), accomplice

Definition

A participant in a crime who is not the main person responsible. In legal usage it contrasts with 主犯 ('principal offender'), the leader of the crime.

noun

accessory (to a crime)accomplice

Measure word · 个

从犯。
Tā shì zhè qǐ qiǎng jié àn de cóng fàn.
He was an accessory in this robbery case.
从犯。
Fǎ yuàn pàn tā cóng fàn zuì míng chéng lì.
The court found him guilty as an accessory.
从犯。
Zhǔ fàn hé cóng fàn dōu bèi dài bǔ le.
Both the principal offender and the accessory were arrested.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

从cóngsubordinate

犯fànoffender

从 gives the sense of subordinate or secondary, while 犯 means offender, so the word names an accessory in a crime.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

从

Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢎘

𢎘𢎘犯fàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

犯 combines 犬 and 𢎘: 犬 gives the meaning, and 𢎘 gives the sound.

Appears in