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越界 (yuè jiè) — to cross a border (physical boundary); to overstep; to infringe; to trespass (figurative)

Definition

越界 means to cross or overstep a boundary — literally a physical border, or figuratively a limit of role, scope, or propriety. Often carries a negative sense of trespassing where one should not.

verb
to cross a border (physical boundary)to overstepto infringeto trespass (figurative)

Examples

  • 越界，。
    Tā wèi jīng xǔ kě jiù yuè jiè le, zhè shì wéi fǎ de.
    He crossed the border without permission — that's illegal.
  • ，。
    Zài tǎo lùn zhōng, tā de yán lùn míng xiǎn yuè le jiè.
    During the discussion, his remarks clearly overstepped the line.
  • 越界。
    Gōng sī guī dìng yuán gōng bù dé yuè jiè shǐ yòng kè hù xìn xī.
    Company policy prohibits employees from overstepping boundaries in using client information.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

越yuècross
界jièboundary

越 means to cross, and 界 is a boundary, so the word denotes crossing a boundary.

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
走走zǒuto walk or run
Sound part声符shēngfú
戉
戉yuè越yuè
Same sound today

越 is built from 走 (to walk or run) and 戉 (which supplies the sound); the 走 part shows the idea of going over or crossing.

Open 越 →

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
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè界jiè
Same sound today

界 is built from 田 (field) and 介. 田 carries the meaning, while 介 gives the sound.

Open 界 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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