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反对派 (fǎn duì pài) — opposition faction

Definition

noun
opposition faction

Examples

  • 反对派。
    Zhè ge guó jiā de fǎn duì pài zhèng zài zhēng qǔ gèng duō quán lì.
    The opposition faction in this country is striving for more power.
  • 反对派。
    fǎn duì pài Zài yì huì zhōng tí chū le xīn de fǎ àn.
    The opposition faction proposed a new bill in parliament.
  • 反对派。
    Zǒng tǒng yǔ fǎn duì pài lǐng dǎo rén jìn xíng le duì huà.
    The president held a dialogue with the leader of the opposition faction.

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.

反对oppose
反fǎnoppose对duìoppose
联合Coordinate
派pàifaction

反对 means oppose, and 派 means faction.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng反fǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

反 uses 又 (hand) for meaning and 厂 for sound. Its original shape showed a hand turning its palm over, giving the sense of return or reverse.

Open 反 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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
水水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢派pài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

派 is built from 水 (water/river) and 𠂢. 𠂢 gives the sound, and 水 was added later to tell the character apart from the older form.

Open 派 →
Appears in
Groups & OrganizationsGovernment & Politics

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