冒犯 màofàn to offend
How to remember 冒犯: 冒 risk + 犯 criminal = to offend.
Characters
How it is used
- 'To offend / affront' someone, esp. a superior or someone's dignity - 冒犯了您 (màofàn le nín) to have given offense, 无意冒犯 (wúyì màofàn) no offense intended.
- Register is a touch formal/polite; it's about violating someone's dignity or a boundary, whereas 得罪 (dézuì) is the more colloquial 'to offend/get on the wrong side of'.
Example sentences
- 我冒犯到你了。 Wǒ màofàn dào nǐ le.I've offended you.
- 我怕我冒犯了你。 Wǒpà wǒ màofàn le nǐ.I'm afraid I've offended you.
- 我不想冒犯任何人。 Wǒ bùxiǎng màofàn rènhérén.I didn't mean to offend anyone.