暴力

• Pinyin: bào lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 暴 = violent/sudden; 力 = force/power

Meaning

Violence; force. Physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill.

Refers to harmful physical force or aggressive behavior. Used in discussions of crime, domestic abuse, war, protests, and media content. Also used adjectivally in compounds like 暴力行为 (violent behavior) and 家庭暴力 (domestic violence).

Examples

1. 学校开展反对校园暴力的教育活动。 The school is conducting educational activities against campus violence.
2. 这部电影包含大量暴力场面，不适合儿童观看。 This movie contains a lot of violent scenes and is not suitable for children.
3. 任何形式的家庭暴力都是不可接受的。 Any form of domestic violence is unacceptable.

Usage Guide

Context: social issues, media

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 我们要对暴力行为说不。(We must say no to violent behavior.)
• 暴力不能解决任何问题。(Violence cannot solve any problems.)

Don't Say

• 不要随便用'暴力'形容激烈的言语 (Don't casually use 暴力 to describe harsh words — for verbal aggression, use 语言暴力 or 言语攻击 to be more precise)

Origin & History

Compound of 暴 (violent, fierce) + 力 (force, power), meaning violent force.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal