悖 (bèi) - contrary & perverse

悖Tone 4

bèi ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

悖 · bèi

contrary;

perverse;

rebellious;

to go against;

to conflict with;

paradoxical

contraryperverserebellious

Usage highlights

paradoxrebelliouscontrary to reasonperverse and unreasonableto go against natureconflicting emotions

Synonyms

  • 逆— to go against; to disobey
  • 违— to violate; to disobey
  • 反— to oppose; to rebel

Antonyms

  • 顺— to follow; to obey
  • 从— to comply; to obey
  • 合— to conform; to accord with

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • His actions contradict his words (言行相悖).
  • This is contrary to common sense (悖于常理).
  • The theory contains a paradox (悖论).
  • He committed an act of rebellion (悖逆).

Collocations

  • paradox(悖论)
  • rebellious(悖逆)
  • contrary to reason(悖理)
  • perverse and unreasonable(悖谬)
  • to go against nature(悖天)
  • conflicting emotions(悖情)

Idioms

  • Contradicting oneself(自相矛盾)
  • Going against reason and nature(悖理逆天)
  • Rebellious and unfilial(悖逆不孝)
  • Contrary to human feelings(悖情逆理)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian ethics, '悖' represents serious moral transgression against proper relationships and social order.
  • The character carries strong negative connotations of disobedience and irrationality in traditional Chinese thought.
  • Used in philosophical contexts to describe logical paradoxes and contradictions.

FAQ