Chinese word

是非

Pronunciation

Pinyinshì fēi

Meaning

  • nounright and wrong

Example

我们要分清是非，不要轻易指责别人。wǒ men yào fēn qīng shì fēi bú yào qīng yì zhǐ zé bié rén

We need to distinguish right from wrong and not accuse others too readily.

Illustration for 是非 (right and wrong)

More examples

遇到复杂情况时，先看清是非，再做决定。yù dào fù zá qíng kuàng shí xiān kàn qīng shì fēi zài zuò jué dìng

When faced with a complex situation, first distinguish right from wrong, then make a decision.

Core concept

A two-sided standard for weighing conduct, claims, and decisions, plus the arguments that follow when the sides disagree.

Common phrases

  • 看清是非kàn qīng shì fēi

    distinguish right from wrong

  • 搞清是非gǎo qīng shì fēi

    figure out right and wrong

Similar words

对错duì cuò: The matter of what is correct and what is incorrect in an answer, action, or decision.
黑白hēi bái: A clear-cut distinction between right and wrong or good and evil.
善恶shàn è: The distinction between morally good and morally bad conduct.
正误zhèng wù: Whether a statement, fact, or judgment is correct or mistaken.

Definition in Chinese

表示对某事或某人是否正确、合理或合乎道德的判断或评断，也指围绕这些判断而发生的争论与评说。biǎo shì duì mǒu shì huò mǒu rén shì fǒu zhèng què hé lǐ huò hé hū dào dé de pàn duàn huò píng duàn yě zhǐ wéi rào zhè xiē pàn duàn ér fā shēng de zhēng lùn yǔ píng shuō

Word origin

是 (shì, "right") + 非 (fēi, "wrong") forms a compact contrast, and the pair came to name both the act of judging a matter and the dispute surrounding that judgment.

Usage tips

  • English learners may expect separate vocabulary for moral judgment, factual accuracy, and a dispute, but Chinese often lets one compact noun cover the whole evaluative situation.

Other meanings

  • good and evilnoun
  • truth and falsehoodnoun

Related words

  • 是非题shì fēi títrue-false questionnoun

Word lists with this word