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前科 (qián kē) — previous criminal record (a past conviction or convictions)

Definition

A legal term meaning a prior criminal conviction — something officially recorded by the courts. It is NOT a current crime in progress; it refers only to the past. Affects sentencing (从轻/从重) and background checks.

noun
previous criminal record (a past conviction or convictions)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 前科，。
    Tā méi yǒu qián kē, suǒ yǐ fǎ guān cóng qīng pàn fá.
    He has no previous criminal record, so the judge gave a lighter sentence.
  • 前科。
    Zhāo pìn shí gōng sī huì chá yìng pìn zhě de qián kē.
    When hiring, companies check the applicant's criminal record.
  • 前科。
    Yǒu qián kē de rén zhǎo gōng zuò wǎng wǎng bǐ jiào kùn nan.
    People with a criminal record often have more difficulty finding a job.

Origin

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.

前qiánprevious
科kērecord

The time sense of 前 and the record sense of 科 combine to mean a prior criminal record.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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