有悖 (yǒu bèi) — to be contrary to; to go against (a norm, principle, etc.)

Definition

Formal written phrase meaning 'to go against / be contrary to' (a principle, norm, or spirit). Common in legal, editorial, or academic prose — not used in everyday speech.

verb
to be contrary toto go against (a norm, principle, etc.)

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè zhǒng zuò fǎ yǒu bèi yú chuán tǒng guān niàn.
    This practice goes against traditional concepts.
  • 有悖。
    Tā de xíng wéi yǒu bèi fǎ lǜ jīng shén.
    His actions are contrary to the spirit of the law.
  • 有悖。
    Zhè yàng de jué dìng yǒu bèi wǒ men de chū zhōng.
    Such a decision contradicts our original intention.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
悖bèicontrary

有 means having, and 悖 means contradiction, together giving the sense of going against a norm.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
孛
孛bèi悖⁰bèi
Same sound today

悖 pairs 忄, the side form of 心 meaning heart/mind, with 孛, which gives the sound bèi.

Open 悖 →

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