抗辩 (kàng biàn) — to contradict; to refute; to argue in one's own… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal verb, mostly in legal or academic contexts, meaning to argue in one's own defense or refute an accusation. Stronger and more official than everyday 反驳.

verb

to contradictto refuteto argue in one's own defense (often in legal context)

Examples

抗辩。
Tā zài fǎ tíng shàng kàng biàn zì jǐ shì qīng bái de.
He argued in court that he was innocent.
抗辩。
Lǜ shī duì jiǎn fāng de zhèng jù tí chū le kàng biàn.
The lawyer raised a refutation against the prosecution's evidence.
，抗辩。
Miàn duì zhì yí, tā lěng jìng dì kàng biàn.
Facing the doubts, he calmly contradicted them.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

抗 means resist, 辩 means argue, together giving the sense of resisting by argument.

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.

扌亢抗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

亢

亢kàng抗kàng

Same sound today

抗 is made from 扌, a written form of 手 (hand), and 亢, which gives the sound.

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 辯; 辩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

辡

辡biàn辯biàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 辯 pairs 言, meaning say, with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 辩 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Conflict & Agreement Law & Justice

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