Chinese word

罪犯

Pronunciation

Pinyinzuì fàn

Meaning

  • nouncriminal

Example

有人在街上看到罪犯逃跑。yǒu rén zài jiē shàng kàn dào zuì fàn táo pǎo

Someone saw a criminal running away on the street.

Illustration for 罪犯 (criminal)

More examples

警方最终抓住了罪犯。jǐng fāng zuì zhōng zhuā zhù le zuì fàn

The police finally caught the criminal.

Core concept

A person identified through a criminal act, especially as the subject of an official case.

Common phrases

  • 抓住罪犯zhuā zhù zuì fàn

    catch a criminal

  • 逮捕罪犯dài bǔ zuì fàn

    arrest a criminal

  • 审判罪犯shěn pàn zuì fàn

    put a criminal on trial

Similar words

犯人fàn rén: The person who actually committed a particular crime or is responsible for it.
犯罪者fàn zuì zhě: A person who has committed a crime and is viewed as a lawbreaker.
犯罪分子fàn zuì fèn zǐ: A person involved in criminal activity, especially as part of a criminal group.
嫌疑人xián yí rén: A person suspected of committing a crime whose guilt has not been established.

Definition in Chinese

指实施了违法犯罪行为的人，通常用于法律文书、新闻报道或警方通报中，指代实施犯罪的主体。zhǐ shí shī le wéi fǎ fàn zuì xíng wèi de rén tōng cháng yòng yú fǎ lǜ wén shū xīn wén bào dào huò jǐng fāng tōng bào zhōng zhǐ dài shí shī fàn zuì de zhú tǐ

Word origin

罪犯 (zuìfàn, "criminal") combines 罪 (zuì, "crime") + 犯 (fàn, "commit"), giving a compact label for a person who has committed a crime.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word sounds formal, so it is most natural in reports, notices, and legal settings rather than relaxed conversation.

Other meanings

  • culpritnoun
  • lawbreakernoun

Opposites

  • 守法公民shóu fǎ gōng mínlaw-abiding citizennoun
  • 无辜者wú gū zhěinnocent personnoun

Word lists with this word