犯 (fàn) — to commit (a crime, offense, or mistake); to have a recurrence (of a disease or bad habit)
Definition
犯 is used in set phrases to mean 'commit' a violation, error, or have a recurrence (犯错, 犯法, 犯病). It needs a noun object — to say someone simply 'made a mistake', use 失误 instead.
verb
to commit (a crime, offense, or mistake)to have a recurrence (of a disease or bad habit)
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Tā yīn wèi fàn fǎ bèi jǐng chá zhuā le.He was caught by the police for breaking the law.
- 犯，。Rén dōu huì fàn cuò wù, zhòng yào de shì gǎi zhèng.Everyone makes mistakes; what's important is to correct them.
- ，犯。Tā gōng zuò tài lèi, yòu kāi shǐ fàn tóu tòng le.She worked too hard and started getting headaches again.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
Appears in
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