Definitions

wéi (verb) to disobey; to violate
wéi (verb) to go against
wéi (verb) to separate

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "违", whose traditional form is 違, originates from the concept of departure or divergence in a spatial sense. Its construction combines the semantic component 辶, which denotes movement or travel, with the phonetic and suggestive component 韋, which historically represented "to go contrary to" or "to oppose", itself depicting encircling feet. This combination yielded the core meaning of turning away from or acting against a given path or directive. Over time, this physical sense of divergence broadened into more abstract applications, coming to signify the violation of rules, the disobedience of orders, or the transgression of agreements, thereby shifting from a description of physical orientation to one of conflict with established norms or wills.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

不要反规则。

Bù yào wéifǎn guīzé.

Don't break the rules.

他的行为反了法律。

Tā de xíngwéi wéifǎnle fǎlǜ.

His actions violated the law.

你不能背自己的承诺。

Nǐ bùnéng wéibèi zìjǐ de chéngnuò.

You cannot go back on your own promise.

抗命令会受到处罚。

Wéikàng mìnglìng huì shòudào chǔfá.

Disobeying orders will result in punishment.

他的做法背了基本原则。

Tā de zuòfǎ wéibèile jīběn yuánzé.

His approach contravenes the basic principles.

这项规定不得反环境保护法。

Zhè xiàng guīdìng bùdé wéifǎn huánjìng bǎohù fǎ.

This regulation must not violate the Environmental Protection Law.

双方均不得无故约。

Shuāngfāng jūn bùdé wúgù wéiyuē.

Neither party shall breach the contract without cause.

他宁愿辞职也不愿背自己的良心。

Tā nìngyuàn cízhí yě bùyuàn wéibèi zìjǐ de liángxīn.

He would rather resign than go against his own conscience.