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非礼 (fēi lǐ) — (formal) to sexually assault or molest (someone); (literary) to be impolite, to violate etiquette

Definition

In classical Chinese (e.g. Confucian texts) 非礼 means 'improper, against propriety' — what's not in line with 礼 (ritual, etiquette). Its modern legal meaning is 'to sexually assault'.

verb
(formal) to sexually assault or molest (someone)(literary) to be impoliteto violate etiquette

Examples

  • 非礼。
    Tā yīn wèi zài gōng gòng qì chē shàng fēi lǐ nǚ xìng bèi jǐng chá dài bǔ le.
    He was arrested by the police for sexually assaulting a woman on the bus.
  • ：“非礼，非礼，非礼，非礼。”
    Kǒng zǐ shuō: "fēi lǐ wù shì, fēi lǐ wù tīng, fēi lǐ wù yán, fēi lǐ wù dòng."
    Confucius said: 'Do not look at what is improper; do not listen to what is improper; do not speak what is improper; do not do what is improper.'
  • 非礼。
    Fǎ guān rèn dìng bèi gào de fēi lǐ xíng wéi gòu chéng fàn zuì.
    The judge ruled that the defendant's indecent assault constituted a crime.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

非fēinot
礼lǐpropriety

非 means 'not'; 礼 means 'propriety', so the word describes conduct that is not proper.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

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 禮; 礼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
礻Written in full as示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ禮lǐ
Same sound today

The traditional form 禮 pairs 礻 (altar) with 豊, a sound part, for performing rites at the altar; the simplified 礼 is a later shorthand.

Open 礼 →
Appears in
Chinese Culture & CustomsCrime & Police

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