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通奸 (tōng jiān) — to commit adultery

Definition

A formal, legal term for adultery — used in laws, court reports, and news. In everyday speech, people say 外遇 or 出轨 instead. Implies illicit sex between a married person and someone other than their spouse.

verb
to commit adultery

Examples

  • 通奸。
    Tā yīn wèi hé lín jū tōng jiān bèi qī zi fā xiàn le.
    He was discovered by his wife because he committed adultery with a neighbor.
  • 。
    Tā chéng rèn zì jǐ tōng guò yí cì jiān.
    She admitted to having committed adultery once.
  • 通奸。
    Fǎ lǜ jìn zhǐ yǐ hūn rén shì yǔ tā rén tōng jiān.
    The law prohibits married people from committing adultery with others.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

通tōnghave intercourse
奸jiānillicit sex

“通” means have intercourse and “奸” means illicit sex; together they describe committing adultery.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān奸jiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

奸 is written with 女 (woman) on the left and 干 on the right; the evidence says 干 gives the sound and 女 marks the meaning.

Open 奸 →
Appears in
Romance & Marriage

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