verb HSK 5
Traditional 違反
wéi fǎn
to violate · to go against · to break (a rule/law)

Meaning

违反 means to act in opposition to established rules, laws, regulations, or principles. It indicates a breach or violation of something that should be followed or obeyed. The word carries a formal or official tone and is commonly used in legal, administrative, and regulatory contexts.

Usage

This is a formal verb typically used in written language, news reports, legal documents, and official contexts. It requires an object (what is being violated), such as 违反规定 (violate regulations) or 违反法律 (break the law). Native speakers rarely use it in casual conversation, preferring simpler expressions like 不遵守 for everyday situations.

Examples

  1. 01
    他的行为违反了公司的规章制度。
    de xíng wéi wéi fǎn le gōng de guī zhāng zhì .
    His behavior violated the company's rules and regulations.
  2. 02
    这样做会违反交通法规。
    Zhè yàng zuò huì wéi fǎn jiāo tōng guī.
    Doing this would violate traffic laws.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 违反规定
    wéi fǎn guī dìng
    to violate regulations
  • 违反法律
    wéi fǎn
    to break the law
  • 违反纪律
    wéi fǎn
    to violate discipline
  • 严重违反
    yán zhòng wéi fǎn
    to seriously violate

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters reinforce the meaning of opposition: 违 originally meant 'to depart from' or 'disobey', while 反 means 'opposite' or 'to rebel against'. Together they emphasize acting contrary to established norms.

Related