Chinese word

犯

Pronunciation

Pinyinfàn

Meaning

  • verbmake a mistake

Example

考试时不要犯错。kǎo shì shí bú yào fàn cuò

Do not make a mistake during the exam.

Illustration for 犯 (make a mistake)

More examples

他因犯罪被判处有期徒刑。tā yīn fàn zuì bèi pàn chǔ yǒu qī tú xíng

He was sentenced to a fixed term in prison for committing a crime.

Core concept

An action that crosses an accepted line and brings an unwanted result.

Common phrases

  • 犯错fàn cuò

    make a mistake

  • 犯罪fàn zuì

    commit a crime

  • 犯规fàn guī

    break the rules

Similar words

犯错fàn cuò: Make an error in an action, choice, or answer.
违反wéi fǎn: Break a law, rule, or stated requirement.
犯罪fàn zuì: Commit a crime by doing something forbidden by law.
犯规fàn guī: Break the rules during a sport or game.

Definition in Chinese

用作动词，表示违反、触犯或犯错误；在口语中以“犯错”表示出错最为常见。yòng zuò dòng cí biǎo shì wéi fǎn chù fàn huò fàn cuò wù zài kóu yǔ zhōng yǐ fàn cuò biǎo shì chū cuò zuì wèi cháng jiàn

Word origin

犯 (fàn, "to violate or make a mistake") developed from an earlier sense of encroaching, which broadened into crossing rules and then into going wrong.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, the everyday sense is common, so the verb does not automatically suggest a crime or a major breach when the context is a routine mishap.

Other meanings

  • commitverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word