Keywords: weifa, 违法, illegal in Chinese, to break the law in Chinese, unlawful, fanzui vs weifa, Chinese legal terms, Chinese vocabulary, HSK 5
Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 违法 (wéifǎ), meaning “illegal” or “to break the law.” This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners, covering its meaning, character breakdown, cultural context, and practical examples. Understand the crucial difference between a simple illegal act (违法) and a serious crime (犯罪, fànzuì) to use Chinese legal terms accurately and avoid common mistakes.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): wéifǎ
Part of Speech: Verb / Adjective
HSK Level: HSK 5
Concise Definition: To violate or go against the law; illegal or unlawful.
In a Nutshell:违法 (wéifǎ) is the foundational term in Chinese for anything that is against the law. It's a formal and serious word you'll see in news reports, on warning signs, and in any discussion about legal matters. Think of it as the direct equivalent of “illegal” or “unlawful” in English, covering everything from a parking violation to a major corporate offense.
Character Breakdown
违 (wéi): This character means “to violate,” “to go against,” or “to disobey.” It's composed of the “go” radical (辶), indicating an action, and a phonetic component. The core idea is an action that goes against a rule or standard.
法 (fǎ): This character means “law,” “rule,” or “method.” The ancient form depicted water (氵) flowing away (去), symbolizing a standard that is established and followed, like the course of a river.
Together, 违法 (wéifǎ) literally means “to violate the law.” The meaning is direct and unambiguous.
Cultural Context and Significance
In modern China, there is a strong societal and governmental push towards establishing a “rule of law society” (法治社会, fǎzhì shèhuì). The term 违法 is central to this effort. It represents a clear, codified boundary between acceptable and unacceptable behavior, enforced by the state.
Comparison with “Illegal”: While the dictionary definition is the same, the cultural weight can differ. In American culture, someone might casually say, “Ugh, what the company is doing should be illegal,” with a tone of frustration. In Chinese, using 违法 is less of a casual complaint and more of a formal accusation or statement of fact. It carries the full weight of the state's legal framework. For minor rule-breaking (e.g., in a game or at school), a different word like 违规 (wéiguī), “to violate regulations,” is more common. Using 违法 for something trivial would sound overly dramatic.
Practical Usage in Modern China
Formal and Official Contexts: This is the primary home for 违法. You will encounter it constantly in legal documents, news articles about court cases, public service announcements, and official warnings from the police or government agencies.
Example: A sign might read “此处停车违法” (cǐchù tíngchē wéifǎ) - “Parking here is illegal.”
Business and Corporate Settings: The term is frequently used in discussions of compliance, contracts, and regulations. A company must ensure its actions are not 违法.
Connotation: The connotation is always negative and serious. It is a formal term and is not used lightly or jokingly in conversation.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
酒后驾车是违法的。
Pinyin: Jiǔhòu jiàchē shì wéifǎ de.
English: Drunk driving is illegal.
Analysis: Here, 违法 acts as an adjective describing the act of drunk driving. The structure `是…的 (shì…de)` is common for emphasizing a quality or characteristic.
Example 2:
他因为违法经营被罚款了。
Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi wéifǎ jīngyíng bèi fákuǎn le.
English: He was fined for illegal business operations.
Analysis: 违法 functions as an adjective modifying “business operations” (经营). The sentence uses the `因为…被… (yīnwèi…bèi…)` structure to show cause and effect in the passive voice.
English: You can't do this, you are breaking the law!
Analysis: In this more direct and confrontational sentence, 违法 is used as a verb. `在 (zài)` indicates the action is in progress. This is something you might hear in a heated argument or a movie scene.
Example 4:
销售假冒伪劣产品是严重的违法行为。
Pinyin: Xiāoshòu jiǎmào wěiliè chǎnpǐn shì yánzhòng de wéifǎ xíngwéi.
English: Selling counterfeit and shoddy goods is a serious illegal act.
Analysis: This sentence uses 违法 as an adjective to describe `行为 (xíngwéi)`, meaning “act” or “behavior.” This phrase, `违法行为 (wéifǎ xíngwéi)`, is extremely common in formal contexts.
Example 5:
我们绝不能做任何违法的事情。
Pinyin: Wǒmen jué bùnéng zuò rènhé wéifǎ de shìqing.
English: We absolutely must not do anything illegal.
Analysis: A clear example of 违法 as an adjective modifying `事情 (shìqing)`, “matter” or “thing.” `绝不 (jué bù)` adds strong emphasis, meaning “absolutely not.”
English: That factory was shut down by the government due to illegal discharge of pollutants.
Analysis: `因 (yīn)` means “due to.” Here, 违法 modifies `排污 (páiwū)`, creating the compound concept “illegal discharge.” This is very typical of formal news reporting language.
Example 7:
如果你违法了，就必须承担法律责任。
Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ wéifǎ le, jiù bìxū chéngdān fǎlǜ zérèn.
English: If you break the law, you must bear the legal responsibility.
Analysis: Here, 违法 is a verb. The `如果…就… (rúguǒ…jiù…)` structure sets up a clear conditional “if-then” statement.
Example 8:
他在不知情的情况下参与了违法活动。
Pinyin: Tā zài bù zhīqíng de qíngkuàng xià cānyù le wéifǎ huódòng.
English: He unknowingly participated in illegal activities.
Analysis: 违法 modifies `活动 (huódòng)`, “activities.” The phrase `在…的情况下 (zài…de qíngkuàng xià)` means “under the circumstances of…”
English: Protecting personal privacy is very important; stealing information is illegal.
Analysis: This sentence contrasts a positive value with a negative action. `窃取 (qièqǔ)` means “to steal (data/information),” which is defined as an illegal act.
Example 10:
很多看似正常的商业行为，其实可能已经违法了。
Pinyin: Hěnduō kànsì zhèngcháng de shāngyè xíngwéi, qíshí kěnéng yǐjīng wéifǎ le.
English: Many seemingly normal business practices may, in fact, already be illegal.
Analysis: 违法 is a verb. `已经…了 (yǐjīng…le)` indicates that the state of “breaking the law” has already been reached. `看似…其实… (kànsì…qíshí…)` is a useful pattern for “seems… but actually…”
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The most common mistake for learners is confusing 违法 (wéifǎ) and 犯罪 (fànzuì). This is a critical distinction.
违法 (wéifǎ) - Illegal Act: This is a broad term for any action that violates a law. It can be minor (e.g., a parking violation) or major.
犯罪 (fànzuì) - Criminal Act / To Commit a Crime: This refers specifically to serious offenses defined in the criminal code, like theft, assault, or murder.
Rule of Thumb: All crimes (犯罪) are illegal acts (违法), but not all illegal acts are crimes. Speeding is 违法, but it's not 犯罪 unless it results in a serious accident. This distinction is the same as “infraction/misdemeanor” vs. “felony” in some Western legal systems.
Correct: 他因为超速违法了，所以被罚了款。(Tā yīnwèi chāosù wéifǎ le, suǒyǐ bèi fále kuǎn.) - He broke the law by speeding, so he was fined.
Incorrect: 他因为超速犯罪了… (This would be an exaggeration, implying speeding is a serious crime).
违法 (wéifǎ) vs. 违规 (wéiguī):
违规 (wéiguī) means “to violate regulations.” It's typically less severe and refers to breaking rules within a specific system (e.g., company policy, school rules, game rules, traffic regulations). Breaking a company's dress code is 违规, not 违法. A traffic violation can be described as both, but 违规 is often used in the context of the traffic code itself.
Related Terms and Concepts
犯罪 (fànzuì) - To commit a crime. A much more serious act than simply 违法.
犯法 (fànfǎ) - To break/violate the law. A very close synonym for 违法, often used interchangeably as a verb.
非法 (fēifǎ) - Illegal, unlawful. A synonym used almost exclusively as an adjective or prefix (e.g., 非法移民, fēifǎ yímín - illegal immigrant; 非法出版物, fēifǎ chūbǎnwù - illegal publications). 违法 can be a verb, while 非法 cannot.
违规 (wéiguī) - To violate regulations. Refers to breaking rules, which is often less severe than breaking a law.
合法 (héfǎ) - Legal, lawful. The direct antonym of 违法.
法律 (fǎlǜ) - Law; statute. The noun that one violates when they 违法.
法治 (fǎzhì) - Rule of law. The political and social ideal that the law governs a nation, as opposed to decisions by individual government officials.
守法 (shǒufǎ) - To abide by the law; law-abiding. The positive behavior and antonymous concept to 违法.