犯下 (fàn xià) — to commit (a serious crime, offense, or mistake… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

犯下 (fàn xià) is a formal verb meaning 'to commit' a serious crime, offense, or grave mistake. Unlike the plain verb 犯, the 下 adds a sense of finality — the act is done and on record, often used in news or legal writing.

verb

to commit (a serious crime, offense, or mistake)to be guilty of

Examples

犯下。
Tā fàn xià le bù kě ráo shù de zuì xíng.
He committed an unforgivable crime.
犯下。
Zhè ge cuò wù shì tā nián qīng shí fàn xià de.
This mistake was something she committed when she was young.
犯下。
Méi yǒu rén gǎn fàn xià zhè yàng de dà cuò.
No one dares to commit such a big mistake.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

犯fàncommit or violate

“犯” means commit or violate and “下” adds the sense of bringing it down or completing it, together to commit.

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

𢎘

𢎘𢎘犯fàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

犯 combines 犬 and 𢎘: 犬 gives the meaning, and 𢎘 gives the sound.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Appears in

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