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正當防衛

简正当防卫 · 繁正當防衛

Mandarin · pinyin zhèng dàng fáng wèi

reasonable self-defense
legitimate defense

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Characters in this entry

正: zhèng · right, proper, correct
當: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just
防: fáng · defend; prevent; embankment
衛: Look up this written character
当: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just
卫: wèi · guard, protect, defend

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–2–4 · zheng4 dang4 fang2 wei4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

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.

正當防衛 · find source passages ↗ · 正当防卫 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zing3 dong3 fong4 wai6

Cantonese word readings for 正當防衛. 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

(law) legitimate defense

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

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