Chinese word

捍卫

Pronunciation

Pinyinhàn wèi

Meaning

  • verbdefend

Example

我们要捍卫国家的安全。wǒ men yào hàn wèi guó jiā de ān quán

We must defend national security.

Illustration for 捍卫 (defend)

More examples

律师的职责是捍卫当事人的合法权益。lǜ shī de zhí zé shì hàn wèi dāng shì rén de hé fǎ quán yì

A lawyer's duty is to defend a client's legal rights and interests.

Core concept

Active protection that meets outside pressure and preserves something valuable, from personal safety to shared rights.

Common phrases

  • 捍卫国家hàn wèi guó jiā

    defend the nation

  • 捍卫主权hàn wèi zhǔ quán

    defend sovereignty

  • 捍卫权益hàn wèi quán yì

    defend rights and interests

Similar words

保护bǎo hù: Keep a person, place, or thing safe from danger or harm through care or prevention.
维护wéi hù: Maintain a condition, system, or right so that it stays in good order.
保卫bǎo wèi: Defend a territory, building, or facility through military or physical means.

Definition in Chinese

采取行动或措施反击侵害，以保护国家、集体或个人的安全和权益。cái qǔ xíng dòng huò cuò shī fǎn jī qīn hài yǐ bǎo hù guó jiā jí tǐ huò gè rén de ān quán hé quán yì

Word origin

捍 (hàn, "resist") + 卫 (wèi, "guard") gives 捍卫 (hànwèi, "defend") the sense of guarding by standing against interference rather than simply watching over something.

Usage tips

  • For everyday Chinese, recognizing this serious register helps match the word to weighty situations and prevents it from making a small protective action sound like a major public struggle.

Other meanings

  • protectverb
  • upholdverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 捍卫者hàn wèi zhědefendernoun

Word lists with this word