卖国 (mài guó) — to betray one's country

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to betray one's country,' almost always used in political or historical contexts (e.g. 卖国贼 'traitor'). Far stronger and more loaded than neutral words like 背叛.

verb

to betray one's country

Examples

卖国。
mài guó Shì yì zhǒng yán zhòng de fàn zuì xíng wéi.
Betraying one's country is a serious crime.
卖国。
Lì shǐ shàng yǒu bù shǎo rén yīn wèi mài guó ér yí chòu wàn nián.
In history, many people have been reviled for betraying their country.
。
Tā wèi le gè rén lì yì mài guò yí cì guó.
He betrayed his country once for personal gain.

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