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verb HSK 5
Traditional 否認
fǒu rèn
to deny · to repudiate · to negate

Meaning

否认 means to refuse to acknowledge or accept something as true, to deny a fact, statement, or accusation. It combines 否 (to negate) and 认 (to acknowledge), literally meaning 'to negate acknowledgment.' This is a formal verb commonly used in legal, political, and serious contexts when someone rejects claims or refuses to admit something.

Usage

否认 is used in relatively formal or serious contexts, such as news reports, legal proceedings, or when discussing accusations and controversies. It carries a stronger, more deliberate sense than casual expressions of disagreement. Common patterns include 否认指控 (deny accusations) and 否认事实 (deny facts). It often appears with 坚决 (firmly) to emphasize strong denial.

Examples

  1. 01
    他坚决否认参与了这起案件。
    Tā jiān jué fǒu rèn cān yù le zhè qǐ àn jiàn.
    He firmly denies being involved in this case.
  2. 02
    政府否认了关于污染的报道。
    Zhèng fǔ fǒu rèn le guān yú wū rǎn de bào dào.
    The government denied the reports about pollution.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 否认指控
    fǒu rèn zhǐ kòng
    to deny accusations
  • 坚决否认
    jiān jué fǒu rèn
    to firmly deny
  • 否认事实
    fǒu rèn shì shí
    to deny the facts
  • 否认责任
    fǒu rèn zé rèn
    to deny responsibility

Antonyms

Origin

The word combines 否 (negation) with 认 (recognition/acknowledgment), creating a compound that literally means 'to negate recognition' or 'to refuse to acknowledge.'

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