变节

變節

biànjié

verb #25,647

Meanings

1 to defect
2 to betray one's cause
3 to change sides
4 to become a turncoat

Characters

to change; to transform

integrity; principle; moral conduct

Examples

他在敌人的威逼下变节，出卖了战友。

Tā zài dírén de wēibī xià biànjié, chūmài le zhànyǒu.

Under the enemy's coercion, he defected and betrayed his comrades.

历史上有些人因利益而变节，被后人唾骂。

Lìshǐ shàng yǒu xiē rén yīn lìyì ér biànjié, bèi hòurén tuòmà.

Throughout history, some people changed sides for personal gain and were condemned by later generations.

Tips

usage

变节 implies a moral failure — abandoning one's principles, party, or nation under pressure or for gain. It carries strong condemnation. Compare 叛变 (pànbiàn), which focuses more on the act of armed rebellion or switching to the enemy.

Stroke Order

变 biàn

节 jié