伪

偽/僞

wěi

为 + 亻

Definitions

wěi (adjective) false; fake; forged

wěi (prefix) pseudo- (prefix)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 为 represents the sound. Simplified form of 偽.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 为

About

伪 is a simplified phono-semantic compound derived from 偽. It combines the semantic radical 亻 (person, human action) with the phonetic 为, which is the simplified form of 為. The traditional phonetic 為 itself means 'to do' or 'to act,' underscoring the core idea of human contrivance and linking human agency to the creation of artificial things. Originally, the character described anything man-made or artificial in contrast to natural, but over time it acquired negative connotations of falsehood, fakery, and hypocrisy. The simplification retains the left-side 亻 and reduces the right side from 為 to 为, preserving both the sound and the full range of meanings.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的伪善令人厌恶。

Tā de wěishàn lìng rén yànwù.

His hypocrisy is disgusting.

这份文件被发现是伪造的。

Zhè fèn wénjiàn bèi fāxiàn shì wěizào de.

This document was discovered to be forged.

不要被伪装的友好所欺骗。

Bùyào bèi wěizhuāng de yǒuhǎo suǒ qīpiàn.

Don't be deceived by a feigned friendliness.

他提供了伪证，妨碍了司法公正。

Tā tígōng le wěizhèng, fáng'àile sīfǎ gōngzhèng.

He gave false testimony, obstructing justice.

这些伪劣产品危害消费者健康。

Zhèxiē wěiliè chǎnpǐn wēihài xiāofèizhě jiànkāng.

These shoddy and counterfeit products endanger consumers' health.

那本书里的历史描述被学者斥为伪史。

Nà běn shū lǐ de lìshǐ miáoshù bèi xuézhě chì wéi wěishǐ.

The historical account in that book was denounced by scholars as pseudo-history.

批判伪科学是普及真知的重要一环。

Pīpàn wěikēxué shì pǔjí zhēnzhī de zhòngyào yī huán.

Criticizing pseudoscience is an important part of spreading true knowledge.

真与伪的界限，有时并不像表面那么清晰。

Zhēn yǔ wěi de jièxiàn, yǒushí bìng bù xiàng biǎomiàn nàme qīngxī.

The boundary between truth and falsehood is sometimes not as clear as it appears on the surface.

Related Characters

Component: 为

Component: 亻

伪