How to Write 违 (wéi) — Meaning “to violate / to go against”

Imagine you are walking (辶) away from a rule, and someone says 'Way!' (sounds like 违 wéi) to stop you. This reminds you that 违 means to go against or violate rules. The visual of walking in the wrong direction helps link the radical to the meaning.

Write the inside part 韦 first (four strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then add the 辶 radical last (three strokes: dot, horizontal fold, curved push). A common mistake is making the 辶 too large or too small—the inner component should fit snugly inside the walk radical. Also, keep the final push stroke long and flowing to balance the character.

违 (wéi) means to violate or go against, while 巡 (xún) means to patrol or tour, and 边 (biān) means side or edge. Visually, 违 has 韦 inside, 巡 has 巛 (stream/chuan), and 边 has 力 (power) inside. In usage, 违 appears in legal or rule-breaking contexts, while 巡 is for moving around an area, and 边 indicates location.

违 is common in formal and legal contexts, such as 违反 (violate rules) or 违约 (break a contract). It often appears in traffic signs like 违章 (violate regulations) or in news about lawbreaking. Culturally, China emphasizes rule-following, so using 违 implies a serious mistake or wrongdoing.

Common words containing 违 include: 违反 (wéi fǎn) — to violate / to break (rules); 违约 (wéi yuē) — to break a contract; 违背 (wéi bèi) — to violate / to go against.