哗变

• Pinyin: huá biàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 哗 = 口 (mouth) + 华 — clamour, uproar, noisy; 变 = 亦 + 攴 (tap/action) — to change, to transform, to revolt

Meaning

To mutiny; to stage an armed revolt or insurrection, especially by soldiers or troops against their superiors.

A grave and serious term used almost exclusively in military or historical contexts. 哗变 implies organised collective defection or rebellion by armed personnel. In modern usage, it can occasionally be used metaphorically for sudden collective defection in an organisational context.

Examples

1. 史书记载，那场哗变发生在深夜，驻守城门的士兵突然倒戈，城池随之迅速陷落。 Historical records note that the mutiny broke out late at night: the soldiers guarding the city gate suddenly switched sides, and the city quickly fell soon after.
2. 面对极端恶劣的生存条件和长达数月的欠饷，士兵们的不满情绪终于在一夜之间爆发成全面哗变。 Faced with brutally harsh living conditions and months of unpaid wages, the soldiers’ pent-up resentment finally erupted overnight into a full-scale mutiny.
3. 历史学家分析，这次哗变的根本原因是军队内部长期积累的阶级矛盾和利益冲突，而非偶然事件。 Historians analyze that the root cause of this mutiny was long-standing class tensions and conflicts of interest within the army, not some chance incident.

Usage Guide

Context: military history, politics, historical analysis

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这段历史资料详细记录了那次军队哗变的经过，包括叛乱士兵的人数、主要首领的身份以及最终被镇压的过程。(This historical record documents in detail the course of that military mutiny, including the number of rebel soldiers, the identity of the key leaders, and the process by which it was ultimately suppressed.)
• 分析人士指出，任何一支军队若长期出现士气低落、补给不足和领导层腐败等问题，都将极大提升内部发生哗变的风险，历史上不乏前车之鉴。(Analysts point out that any military force suffering prolonged problems of low morale, inadequate supplies, and corrupt leadership will dramatically increase its risk of internal mutiny — history offers no shortage of cautionary examples.)

Don't Say

• 哗变 for peaceful protests or non-military dissent — 哗变 specifically refers to armed military revolt; use 抗议 or 反叛 for civilian unrest or non-military defection

Origin & History

哗 (clamour; uproar; noisy commotion) + 变 (to change; to revolt) — a noisy, disruptive change; a clamorous uprising

Cultural Context

Era: Historical to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Military/Official