违 (wéi) is a Chinese character meaning “to go against”. It is written from 辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 韦 (wéi — the simplified form of 韋; used here as the sound part), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to go against; to violate”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
辶 + 韦
Enclosing structure
- 辶 walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò) · chuò meaning
- 韦 wéi — tanned/softened leather; the simplified form of 韋, also used as a sound part · wéi sound
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶韦，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「韦」，笔画 4–6 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）；声符关系见 说文解字「違，離也。从辵韋聲」
Memory aid
The road radical 辶 is movement, and 韦 (wéi) tells you how it sounds. Both parts really are in this character: you take the road away from the rule instead of along it — 违 means to go against, to violate.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 违反wéi fǎnto violate; to break (a rule or law)违 = wéi
- 违法wéi fǎto break the law; illegal违 = wéi
Go deeper
All readings
to violate
to go against; to violate; to disobey; to part from
不遵照，不依从；也指离开、分离。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 违反wéi fǎnto violate; to break (a rule or law)违 = wéi
- 违法wéi fǎto break the law; illegal违 = wéi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 违 mean?
违 (wéi) means to go against; to violate; to disobey; to part from.
How do you pronounce 违?
It is pronounced wéi.
What parts is 违 made of?
辶 (walk; go — the "movement" radical (chuò)) and 韦 (wéi — the simplified form of 韋; used here as the sound part), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿺辶韦，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–3 为「韦」，笔画 4–6 为「辶」（点、横折折撇、平捺）；声符关系见 说文解字「違，離也。从辵韋聲」. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 违 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 违?
辶. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 违?
Common ones are 违反 and 违法. The reading of 违 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.