反骨

Mandarin · pinyin fǎn gǔ

Meanings

  1. (physiognomy) protruding bone at the back of the head, regarded as a sign of a renegade nature
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Characters in this entry

反
fǎn · reverse, opposite, contrary, anti
骨
gǔ · bone; skeleton; frame, framework; Kangxi radical 188
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–3 · fan3 gu3

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

faan2 gwat1

Cantonese word readings for 反骨. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

  1. (physiognomy) renegade nature

adj

  1. (Cantonese) disloyal; betraying; treacherous
  2. (Meixian Hakka) ungrateful

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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