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通缉犯 (tōng jī fàn) — wanted criminal; fugitive from justice

Definition

noun
wanted criminalfugitive from justice
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 通缉犯。
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài zhuī bǔ yì míng tōng jī fàn.
    The police are pursuing a wanted criminal.
  • 通缉犯。
    Zhè ge tōng jī fàn yǐ jīng táo le sān nián le.
    This fugitive has been on the run for three years.
  • 通缉犯。
    tōng jī fàn De zhào piàn bèi tiē zài měi gè chē zhàn.
    The wanted criminal's photo is posted at every station.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

通缉wanted arrest
通tōngnotify缉jīcapture
偏正Modifier + head
犯fàncriminal

通缉 means to issue a notice to catch someone, and 犯 is a person who broke the law.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緝; 缉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咠
咠qì緝jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緝 pairs 糸 (silk) with 咠 as a sound part; the simplified 缉 is a later shorthand.

Open 缉 →

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
犬犬quǎn
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.

Open 犯 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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