About
The character 匪 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic radical 匚 (a box or receptacle) enclosing the phonetic component 非 (fēi). It originally referred to a square bamboo box or basket used for holding items. Through phonetic borrowing, it was later used in classical texts as a negation word meaning "not" or "non-", substituting for its phonetic component. Eventually, its meaning shifted significantly to its modern sense, denoting bandits, robbers, or rebels who disrupt social order, a usage that has distanced the character from its original meaning as a woven container.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那个土匪很凶恶。
匪徒被警察抓住了。
山区曾有匪患。
匪首最终投降了。
这些匪徒抢劫了银行。
政府出兵剿匪，维护治安。
他的行为近乎匪类。
历史上，匪帮常常与官府对抗。