違 (wéi) - To violate & to disobey

違Tone 2

wéi ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

違 · wéi

To violate;

to disobey;

to go against;

to be contrary to;

to depart from.

To violateto disobeyto go against

Usage highlights

To violateTo disobeyTo go againstTo break the lawTo violate an agreementTo act contrary to one's will

Synonyms

  • 背— to betray; to turn one's back on
  • 逆— to go against; to disobey
  • 犯— to violate; to offend

Antonyms

  • 从— to follow; to obey
  • 顺— to comply with; to be smooth
  • 遵— to abide by; to follow
  • 守— to guard; to observe (rules)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He violated the school rules (违反校规).
  • This action goes against the law (违法).
  • They disobeyed the order (违令).
  • His behavior is contrary to common sense (违背常识).

Collocations

  • To violate(违反)
  • To disobey(违抗)
  • To go against(违背)
  • To break the law(违法)
  • To violate an agreement(违约)
  • To act contrary to one's will(违心)

Idioms

  • To act against one's conscience(阳奉阴违)
  • To go against public opinion(违天悖理)
  • To violate heaven and reason(违天害理)
  • To disobey an order(违令失信)
  • To act contrary to one's true feelings(事与愿违)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian ethics, obedience and conformity are highly valued, making '违' (disobedience) a serious transgression.
  • The character embodies the tension between individual will and social/authoritative norms in traditional Chinese society.
  • Legal and contractual contexts heavily use '违' to denote breaches and violations.

FAQ