Japanese word

造反

Pronunciation

Romajizōhan

Meaning

  • nounrebellion

Example

党内で造反が起きました。tō nai de zō han ga o ki ma shi ta

A rebellion broke out within the party.

Illustration for 造反 (rebellion)

More examples

幹部は内部の造反を警戒しています。kan bu wa nai bu no zō han o kei kai shi te i ma su

The leaders are wary of an internal rebellion.

Core concept

Describes members of a group turning against its leaders or established authority through organized opposition.

Common phrases

  • 造反を起こすzō han o o ko su

    start a rebellion

  • 造反に加わるzō han ni kuwa wa ru

    join a rebellion

  • 造反を抑えるzō han o osa e ru

    suppress a rebellion

Similar words

反抗hankō: Resistance to a person or authority, often through refusal to obey.
反逆hangyaku: Betrayal of a leader or authority through open opposition.
反乱hanran: An organized uprising against a government or other authority.
離反rihan: Turning away from a group or leader and no longer following them.

Definition in Japanese

権力者や所属する組織の方針に逆らい、反抗すること。ken ryoku sha ya sho zoku su ru so shiki no hō shin ni saka ra i han kō su ru ko to

Word origin

The Japanese compound 造反 (zōhan) combines 造 (zō, "make") and 反 (han, "turn against"); it comes from the Chinese term 造反 (zàofǎn), meaning rebellion.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese political news, 造反 (zōhan) often refers to lawmakers or party members opposing their own leadership, so rebellion can occur inside an organization rather than against the state.

Other meanings

  • mutinynoun

Opposites

  • 服従fukujūobediencenoun

Related words

  • 造反者zōhansharebelnoun
  • 造反するzōhansururebelverb

Word lists with this word