Meaning
叛 means to rebel against or betray someone or something, particularly authority, a group, or a cause. It carries a strong connotation of disloyalty and breaking away from established allegiance. The character is commonly used in formal or literary contexts when discussing political rebellion, betrayal of trust, or defection.
Usage
叛 rarely appears alone in modern spoken Chinese; it's typically found in compound words like 叛徒 (traitor) or 叛乱 (rebellion). The character has a serious, negative tone and is used in contexts involving significant moral or political transgression rather than minor disloyalty.
Examples
- 01他背叛了自己的国家，成了叛徒。, .He betrayed his own country and became a traitor.
- 02这些士兵发动叛乱，推翻了政府。, .These soldiers launched a rebellion and overthrew the government.
Common collocations
- 叛国to commit treason
- 叛变to defect, to turn traitor
- 叛逆rebellious, to rebel
Antonyms
Origin
The character 叛 consists of the radical 反 (to oppose, to turn over) on the right side, combined with 半 (half) on the left. The semantic component 反 indicates opposition or reversal, while the phonetic element provides the pronunciation. This reflects the core meaning of turning against or opposing something.