正当防卫 (zhèng dāng fáng wèi) — (legal term) justifiable self-defense, legitima… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A legal noun meaning 'justifiable self-defense' — the legal concept that an act of defending oneself against an attack can be exempt from criminal liability when it meets conditions of necessity and proportionality.

noun

(legal term) justifiable self-defenselegitimate defense

Examples

正当防卫。
Fǎ yuàn rèn dìng tā de xíng wéi shǔ yú zhèng dāng fáng wèi.
The court determined that his actions constituted justifiable self-defense.
正当防卫。
zhèng dāng fáng wèi Bì xū mǎn zú bì yào xìng hé xiāng dāng xìng de tiáo jiàn.
Justifiable self-defense must meet the conditions of necessity and proportionality.
正当防卫，。
Tā zài shòu dào gōng jī shí cǎi qǔ le zhèng dāng fáng wèi, yīn cǐ bú fù xíng shì zé rèn.
He used justifiable self-defense when attacked, so he bears no criminal liability.

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.

正当proper

正zhèngupright当dāngfitting

联合Coordinate

防卫defense

防fángguard卫wèiprotect

联合Coordinate

正当 marks the act as proper, and 防卫 gives guarding against attack, yielding legitimate defense.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng正zhèng

Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 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 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

田田tiánfield

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

尚shàng當dāng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

阝方防

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng防fáng

Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, 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 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

韋

韋wéi衛wèi

Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

Appears in

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