Chinese word

报复

Pronunciation

Pinyinbào fù

Meaning

  • verbget revenge

Example

别去报复，冷静一点。bié qù bào fù lěng jìng yì diǎn

Don't get revenge; stay calm.

Illustration for 报复 (get revenge)

More examples

他威胁要报复对方。tā wēi xié yào bào fù duì fāng

He threatened to get revenge on the other party.

Core concept

A hurt is answered by sending harm back to the person who caused it, rather than by repairing the relationship.

Common phrases

  • 报复对方bào fù duì fāng

    get revenge on the other party

  • 试图报复shì tú bào fù

    try to get revenge

  • 誓言要报复shì yán yào bào fù

    swear to get revenge

Similar words

报仇bào chóu: Taking revenge to settle a personal grievance against someone.
复仇fù chóu: Returning harm for harm or humiliation suffered, with the aim of making the offender pay.
回击huí jī: Responding to an attack or criticism by hitting back through words or actions.
反击fǎn jī: Counterattacking an opponent with force or another active means after an attack.

Definition in Chinese

用回击或损害对方的方式回应别人对自己的伤害或侮辱，目的是报复而非修复关系的动词。yòng huí jī huò sǔn hài duì fāng de fāng shì huí yìng bié rén duì zì jǐ de shāng hài huò wú rǔ mù dì shì bào fù ér fēi xiū fù guān xì de dòng cí

Word origin

报复 (bàofù, "get revenge") combines 报 (bào, "repay") with 复 (fù, "return"), creating the idea of returning harm as a response.

Usage tips

  • For an everyday disagreement, this verb is usually too strong for a simple complaint because it presents the response as intentional punishment.

Other meanings

  • retaliateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 报复性bào fù xìngretaliatoryadjective
  • 报复心bào fù xīndesire for revengenoun
  • 报复者bào fù zhěavengernoun

Word lists with this word