noun / adjective HSK 5
bào
violence · force · violent

Meaning

暴力 refers to physical force used to harm, damage, or control. It combines 暴 (violent, sudden) and 力 (force, strength) to describe aggressive actions or behavior. The term can describe physical violence, violent behavior, or the abstract concept of force used destructively.

Usage

暴力 is commonly used in news reports, legal contexts, and social discussions about violent crime, domestic violence, or violent conflicts. It can function as a noun ("violence") or as an attributive modifier before other nouns ("violent"). Often appears in formal or serious contexts rather than casual conversation.

Examples

  1. 01
    我们应该反对任何形式的暴力
    men yīng gāi fǎn duì rèn xíng shì de bào .
    We should oppose violence in any form.
  2. 02
    这部电影包含很多暴力场面。
    Zhè diàn yǐng bāo hán hěn duō bào chǎng miàn.
    This movie contains many violent scenes.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 家庭暴力
    jiā tíng bào
    domestic violence
  • 使用暴力
    shǐ yòng bào
    to use violence
  • 暴力行为
    bào xíng wéi
    violent behavior
  • 反对暴力
    fǎn duì bào
    to oppose violence

Antonyms

Origin

The character 暴 originally depicted the sun's harsh rays and evolved to mean violent or sudden. Combined with 力 (force), the compound literally means "violent force" and has been used in Chinese since classical times to describe forceful, aggressive actions.

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