国贼 (guó zéi) — traitor to one's country; national traitor

Definition

A formal, written term for a traitor to one's nation — stronger and more literary than 叛徒 or 卖国贼, typically used in historical or political rhetoric to denounce someone who betrays the state.

noun
traitor to one's countrynational traitor

Examples

  • 国贼桧。
    Lì shǐ shàng zuì zhù míng de guó zéi zhī yī jiù shì qín huì.
    One of the most famous traitors in history is Qin Hui.
  • ，国贼。
    Tā chū mài guó jiā jī mì, bèi rén mín tuò mà wèi guó zéi.
    He sold state secrets and was reviled by the people as a national traitor.
  • 国贼，。
    Měi gè shí dài dōu yǒu guó zéi, dàn tā men de xià chǎng wǎng wǎng hěn kě bēi.
    Every era has its traitors, but their fates are often tragic.

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.

国guócountry
贼zéithief; traitor

国 (country) and 贼 (thief or traitor) name someone who harms the country.

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 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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 賊; 贼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戈戈gēweapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
則
則zé賊zéi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 賊 combines 戈, a weapon, with 則 to give the pronunciation; the simplified 贼 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 贼 →

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