犯

Compound character:

犬 (dog, 犭 radical) – semantic element, symbolizing beast, attack, intrusion;

㔾 (seal, “절”) – phonetic element, also suggesting restriction / boundary.

The combination conveys the idea of a dog crossing into a boundary → "to intrude, to offend, to violate."

Semantic range:

- commit a crime (범죄를 저지르다)

- offend against morals, order, or authority

- encroach, trespass into a space or boundary

- begin, set out, or reach something (neutral in Classical Chinese)

While in modern contexts 犯 is heavily associated with crime and illegality, in classical texts it could simply mean “to touch upon” or “to proceed into.”

범죄 (犯罪) – crime, offense

범인 (犯人) – criminal, culprit

침범 (侵犯) – intrusion, invasion

범하다 (犯하다) – to commit, to violate

모범 (冒犯) – to offend, to insult