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弹劾 (tán hé) — to impeach

Definition

Formal/legal verb meaning 'to impeach' — charging a public official (e.g. a president) with misconduct, usually in a legislature or congress. Not everyday speech.

verb
to impeach

Examples

  • 弹劾。
    Guó huì jué dìng tán hé zǒng tǒng.
    Congress decided to impeach the president.
  • 弹劾。
    Zhè wèi guān yuán yīn wèi fǔ bài bèi tán hé le.
    This official was impeached for corruption.
  • 弹劾。
    tán hé Chéng xù xū yào sān fēn zhī èr duō shù tōng guò.
    The impeachment process requires a two-thirds majority to pass.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

弹tánimpeach
劾héaccuse

Both 弹 and 劾 carry the sense of accusing or impeaching, so the word means to formally charge someone.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

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
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài劾⁰hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

劾 is made of 力, which relates to power, and 亥, which gives its sound.

Appears in
Government & Politics

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