qīnrù: 侵入 - To Invade, Intrude, Trespass

• Keywords: qīnrù, 侵入, invade in Chinese, intrude in Chinese, trespass in Chinese, Chinese for hacking, military invasion, cyber security Chinese, learn Chinese, HSK 5 vocabulary
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 侵入 (qīnrù), a powerful Chinese verb used for any act of invasion, intrusion, or trespassing. This guide explains how 侵入 applies to everything from a military invasion and computer hacking to breaking into a home. Learn its cultural significance, see practical examples, and understand how it differs from the neutral verb “to enter,” helping you master this essential HSK 5 term.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qīnrù
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: 5
• Concise Definition: To enter a place, system, or territory without permission and with hostile or harmful intent.
• In a Nutshell: 侵入 (qīnrù) is a strong, negative word that means much more than just “to enter.” It describes a violation—crossing a boundary where you don't belong, forcefully and illegally. Think of it as “invading and entering.” Whether it's an army crossing a border, a hacker breaching a network, or a burglar breaking into a house, the core idea is an unwelcome and illegitimate entry.

• 侵 (qīn): This character means “to encroach upon,” “to invade,” or “to infringe.” The left side is the “person” radical (亻). The right side provides the phonetic and a sense of aggressive action, like sweeping into an area. So, you can think of it as a person encroaching on a space.
• 入 (rù): This is a simple and ancient pictograph that looks like a wedge or something going into an opening. It straightforwardly means “to enter” or “to go in.”
• Together: The combination 侵入 (qīnrù) is very direct: “to invade and enter.” The character 侵 (qīn) provides the hostile intent, while 入 (rù) specifies the action of entry.

The term 侵入 (qīnrù) carries significant historical weight in China. Due to the “Century of Humiliation” (百年国耻 bǎinián guóchǐ), a period of foreign invasions and subjugation, the concept of 侵入 is deeply connected to national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and resistance against foreign aggression. When used in a political or historical context, it evokes strong collective memories and patriotic feelings. A useful Western comparison is the word “invasion.” While “invasion” in English can be used figuratively (e.g., “an invasion of privacy”), its primary association is military. In Chinese, 侵入 is just as strong in a military sense but is also the standard, go-to term for digital intrusions (hacking) and criminal trespassing. While an American might say a hacker “broke into” or “breached” a system, the most common Chinese term is literally “invaded” (侵入). This reflects a modern cultural view where digital borders are treated with the same seriousness as physical ones.

侵入 is a formal and serious term. Its connotation is always negative, implying a violation has occurred.

• Military and Political Contexts: This is the most traditional use, referring to armies crossing borders. It's common in news reports and historical discussions.
  • e.g., “The enemy forces invaded our country's airspace.” (敌军侵入了我国领空。)
• Digital Security (Hacking): This is an extremely common usage in modern China. Hackers (黑客 hēikè) 侵入 servers, websites, and personal accounts.
  • e.g., “His social media account was hacked.” (他的社交账号被侵入了。)
• Physical Trespassing: Used for illegally entering private property, especially in a criminal context like a burglary. It's more formal and serious than just “walked in.”
  • e.g., “Last night, a thief broke into my neighbor's house.” (昨晚有小偷侵入了我邻居家。)
• Medical and Biological Contexts: The term can describe a disease or cells spreading into parts of the body, or an invasive species entering an ecosystem.
  • e.g., “The virus has invaded the patient's nervous system.” (病毒已经侵入了患者的神经系统。)

• Example 1:
  • 敌军在拂晓时分侵入了边境。
  • Pinyin: Díjūn zài fúxiǎo shífēn qīnrù le biānjìng.
  • English: The enemy forces invaded the border at dawn.
  • Analysis: A classic military usage. The context is formal and serious.
• Example 2:
  • 警方发现黑客通过一个软件漏洞侵入了银行系统。
  • Pinyin: Jǐngfāng fāxiàn hēikè tōngguò yí ge ruǎnjiàn lòudòng qīnrù le yínháng xìtǒng.
  • English: The police discovered that hackers had intruded into the bank's system through a software vulnerability.
  • Analysis: This is a very common modern usage related to cybersecurity.
• Example 3:
  • 我们必须防止这种外来物种侵入本地的生态系统。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū fángzhǐ zhè zhǒng wàilái wùzhǒng qīnrù běndì de shēngtài xìtǒng.
  • English: We must prevent this invasive species from invading the local ecosystem.
  • Analysis: This shows the biological/ecological application of the term.
• Example 4:
  • 那个小偷在午夜侵入了博物馆，企图偷走名画。
  • Pinyin: Nàge xiǎotōu zài wǔyè qīnrù le bówùguǎn, qìtú tōuzǒu mínghuà.
  • English: That thief broke into the museum at midnight, attempting to steal a famous painting.
  • Analysis: Here, 侵入 describes a criminal act of trespassing. It's stronger and more formal than just saying “entered” (进入).
• Example 5:
  • 研究表明，癌细胞已经侵入了他的大脑。
  • Pinyin: Yánjiū biǎomíng, áixìbāo yǐjīng qīnrù le tā de dànǎo.
  • English: The research indicates that cancer cells have already invaded his brain.
  • Analysis: A medical context, where 侵入 describes the aggressive spread of a disease.
• Example 6:
  • 未经授权侵入他人电脑是违法行为。
  • Pinyin: Wèijīng shòuquán qīnrù tārén diànnǎo shì wéifǎ xíngwéi.
  • English: Intruding into another person's computer without authorization is an illegal act.
  • Analysis: A legalistic and formal use, clearly defining the illegal nature of hacking.
• Example 7:
  • 历史书详细记录了那次侵入事件。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shū xiángxì jìlù le nà cì qīnrù shìjiàn.
  • English: The history books recorded that invasion event in detail.
  • Analysis: Here, 侵入 is used as part of a noun phrase “invasion event” (侵入事件).
• Example 8:
  • 感觉我的个人空间被侵入了，我很不舒服。
  • Pinyin: Gǎnjué wǒ de gèrén kōngjiān bèi qīnrù le, wǒ hěn bù shūfu.
  • English: I feel like my personal space has been invaded, and I'm very uncomfortable.
  • Analysis: A figurative use, showing how 侵入 can describe the violation of personal boundaries.
• Example 9:
  • 这部科幻电影讲述了外星人侵入地球的故事。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù kēhuàn diànyǐng jiǎngshù le wàixīngrén qīnrù dìqiú de gùshi.
  • English: This sci-fi movie tells the story of aliens invading Earth.
  • Analysis: A common trope in fiction, where 侵入 fits perfectly.
• Example 10:
  • 公司的网络安全团队正在努力阻止任何未经授权的侵入。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī de wǎngluò ānquán tuánduì zhèngzài nǔlì zǔzhǐ rènhé wèijīng shòuquán de qīnrù.
  • English: The company's cybersecurity team is working hard to prevent any unauthorized intrusions.
  • Analysis: In this sentence, 侵入 functions as a noun, meaning “an intrusion” or “an invasion.”

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 侵入 (qīnrù) with 进入 (jìnrù).

• 侵入 (qīnrù): Hostile, illegal, forceful entry. Always negative.
• 进入 (jìnrù): Neutral entry. Simply means “to go into” or “to enter.”

Think of it this way: You 进入 an office for a meeting, but a hacker 侵入 the office's server.

• Correct: 学生们排队进入了教室。(Xuéshēngmen páiduì jìnrù le jiàoshì.) - The students lined up and entered the classroom.
• Incorrect: 学生们排队侵入了教室。(Xuéshēngmen páiduì qīnrù le jiàoshì.) - This sounds like the students are an army illegally invading their classroom. It's grammatically correct but contextually absurd.

Another point of confusion is its relation to “trespass.” While 侵入 can mean “to trespass,” it's a very formal and strong word for it. For a casual case of someone stepping onto your lawn, a more specific phrase like 擅自闯入 (shànzì chuǎngrù), “to barge in without permission,” might be more common in spoken language. Using 侵入 implies a more serious, often criminal, intent.

• 入侵 (rùqīn) - A very close synonym of 侵入, often used interchangeably, especially for large-scale military invasions.
• 侵犯 (qīnfàn) - To violate or infringe upon (rights, privacy, sovereignty). Focuses on the act of violation itself, not necessarily physical entry. Example: 侵犯隐私 (qīnfàn yǐnsī) - to infringe upon privacy.
• 侵略 (qīnlüè) - (Military) aggression. A very strong political noun referring to the act of invading another country.
• 闯入 (chuǎngrù) - To barge in, to burst in. Emphasizes a sudden, forceful, and often rude entry. It's more about the action than the sustained state of being inside.
• 进入 (jìnrù) - The neutral opposite in meaning. “To enter.” This is the word you should use for all normal, permitted entry.
• 攻击 (gōngjī) - To attack. Often precedes an intrusion. A hacker might first 攻击 (attack) a system and then 侵入 (intrude into) it.
• 占领 (zhànlǐng) - To occupy. This is the action that often follows a successful military 侵入.
• 黑客 (hēikè) - Hacker. The agent who performs the act of 侵入 in a digital context. (A loanword from English.)