犯 (fàn): to violate; to commit (a crime or mistake)

Meanings

Tā fàn le yī gè dà cuòwù.

He made a big mistake.

Fàn fǎ de rén yào shòudào chéngfá.

Those who break the law must be punished.

Lǎo máobìng yòu fàn le.

The old problem has flared up again.

Nǐ fàn bu zháo shēngqì.

It's not worth getting angry about.

usage

犯不着 (fàn bu zháo) means 'it's not worth it' — a very useful colloquial expression. 犯得着吗？ = 'Is it really worth it?'

memory

犭(dog radical) + 㔾 — the dog radical appears in characters related to animal-like behavior. A criminal 'acts like a beast.'

犯 fàn