驳 (bó): to refute

Meanings

1 to refute
2 to contradict
3 to rebut

Characters

驳

bó

to refute / variegated

Examples

HSK 3

她的理由很难驳。

Tā de lǐyóu hěn nán bó.

Her reasoning is hard to rebut.

HSK 7-9

他用事实驳倒了对方的论点。

Tā yòng shìshí bódǎo le duìfāng de lùndiǎn.

He used facts to refute the other side's argument.

Tips

usage

驳 is often used in compound verbs: 反驳 ('to refute/retort'), 驳斥 ('to rebuke'), and 驳倒 ('to defeat in argument'). Standalone 驳 is more formal.

Components

radical

马 mǎ

horse

Left horse radical - the indexing radical. Pictograph of a horse with mane and legs (simplified from 馬). Originally 驳 named a piebald, mottle-coated horse; the 'mixed colors' meaning generalized to 'mixed-up arguments,' then specialized into 'refute, contradict' - countering opposing claims. Family: 骑 ride, 骄 proud, 骏 fine horse.

semantic

爻 yáo

crossed lines

Right 爻 - two crossed strokes stacked, originally the divination lines of the Yijing. Here the criss-cross pattern visually represents the dappled, intermixed coat of a piebald horse. That mixed/spotted imagery extended figuratively to mixed arguments and contradiction. Same component appears in 爽 bright, 希 rare.