叛 meaning and stroke order
Rebel; rebellion; rebellious
How to write 叛, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 叛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to betray
- to rebel
- to revolt
How 叛 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Contrary.
反 gives the meaning and 半 hints at the sound.
Radical: 又 (and), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 叛
叛 is made of 半 (bàn, half) and 反 (fǎn, to turn against). Half of you turns against the group, and that is betrayal or rebellion. 半 also gives the sound, since bàn and pàn are close.
叛 almost always appears in two-character words like 背叛 (bèipàn, to betray), 叛徒 (pàntú, traitor) and 叛逆 (pànnì, rebellious). It covers both political revolt and personal betrayal. Example: 他背叛了朋友。(Tā bèipàn le péngyou.) He betrayed his friend.
Common mistake: Learners often read 叛 as bàn because of the 半 on the left, but it is pàn with an aspirated p and a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 判 (pàn, to judge), which has the same sound and also uses 半, but has the knife radical 刂 on the right.
Common words with 叛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 背叛 | bèipàn | to betray | HSK 7-9 |
| 叛逆 | pànnì | to rebel; to revolt | HSK 7-9 |
| 叛徒 | pàntú | traitor; turncoat | |
| 叛军 | pànjūn | rebel army | |
| 叛国 | pànguó | treason | |
| 叛乱 | pànluàn | armed rebellion | |
| 叛变 | pànbiàn | to defect; to betray | |
| 反叛 | fǎnpàn | to rebel; to revolt | |
| 叛国罪 | pànguózuì | the crime of treason | |
| 背叛者 | bèipànzhě | traitor | |
| 叛逃 | pàntáo | to defect | |
| 叛贼 | pànzéi | renegade; traitor | |
| 叛党 | pàndǎng | to betray one's party; to defect (from the communist party) |
叛 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 叛
How many strokes are in 叛?
叛 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 叛 mean?
叛 (pàn) means rebel; rebellion; rebellious. A common word with it is 背叛 (bèipàn), meaning "to betray".
How do you pronounce 叛?
叛 is pronounced pàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 叛?
The radical of 叛 is 又, which carries the idea of "and". Dictionaries list 叛 under this radical.
Is 叛 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 叛 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 背叛 and 叛变?
背叛 (bèipàn) is general and works for friends, lovers, or a country. 叛变 (pànbiàn) is more serious and usually means defecting to the enemy, often in a military or political setting.
Can 叛逆 describe teenagers?
Yes. 叛逆期 (pànnìqī) is the common term for the rebellious teenage phase. In this use it means defiant toward parents or rules, not armed revolt.