Chinese word

嫌犯

Pronunciation

Pinyinxián fàn

Meaning

  • nounsuspect

Example

警方拘留了嫌犯。jǐng fāng jū liú le xián fàn

The police detained the suspect.

Illustration for 嫌犯 (suspect)

More examples

警方已通缉嫌犯。jǐng fāng yǐ tōng jī xián fàn

The police have put the suspect on the wanted list.

Core concept

A possible offender whose role in a crime is still being investigated.

Common phrases

  • 通缉嫌犯tōng jī xián fàn

    put the suspect on the wanted list

  • 锁定嫌犯suǒ dìng xián fàn

    identify the suspect

  • 释放嫌犯shì fàng xián fàn

    release the suspect

Similar words

嫌疑人xián yí rén: A person under police suspicion for a crime and being investigated.
犯人fàn rén: The person who actually committed a crime.
被告bèi gào: A person formally accused of a crime in court.
罪犯zuì fàn: A person legally recognized as having committed a crime.

Definition in Chinese

被怀疑实施犯罪行为的人。bèi huái yí shí shī fàn zuì xíng wèi de rén

Word origin

The compound 嫌 (xián, "suspicion") + 犯 (fàn, "offender") presents an offender through the lens of suspicion rather than established guilt.

Usage tips

  • In news language, this word can appear while facts are still being checked, so a report using it does not prove that the person committed the crime.

Opposites

  • 受害者shòu hài zhěvictimnoun
  • 无辜者wú gū zhěinnocent personnoun

Word lists with this word