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翻供 (fān gòng) — (law) to withdraw a confession; to retract one's testimony

Definition

Legal term for a defendant retracting a prior confession or testimony in court. Related to 自首 (turning oneself in) but goes the opposite direction — undoing an earlier admission.

verb
(law) to withdraw a confessionto retract one's testimony

Examples

  • 。
    Tā fān le yí cì gòng.
    He retracted his confession once.
  • 翻供。
    Bèi gào zài fǎ tíng shàng tū rán fān gòng.
    The defendant suddenly retracted his testimony in court.
  • 翻供。
    Lǜ shī jiàn yì dāng shì rén bú yào fān gòng.
    The lawyer advised the client not to withdraw the confession.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

翻fānturn over
供gòngconfession

翻 means turn over and 供 means confession, so testimony is withdrawn.

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
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng供gòng
Same sound today

供 is made of 亻, a person, and 共, which gives the sound gòng.

Open 供 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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