About
The character 奸, whose traditional form is 姦, is etymologically composed of three of the component 女 (nǚ, meaning woman), a structure that originally conveyed a concept of illicit or excessive sexual conduct, specifically licentiousness. This form later generalized to denote wickedness or evil behavior more broadly. The simplified form 奸 replaced the triple 女 with the structure 女 alongside 干 (gān, which can mean to interfere or shield), which was historically a separate character with meanings related to dryness or offense. Through this simplification and merger, 奸 absorbed the meaning of its traditional counterpart and is now used to convey treachery, evil, or a traitor, with its semantic focus shifting from a specific gendered transgression to a wider scope of moral and political betrayal.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个奸商卖假货。
他非常奸诈狡猾。
战争时期出现了很多汉奸。
他的奸计最终被识破了。
那个政治家因为奸猾的手段而闻名。
虽然他知道奸商的行为不对，但还是选择了合作。
在历史上，那些奸臣往往为了个人利益出卖国家。
法律应该严厉惩罚那些犯下奸恶罪行的人。