‘侵犯’ is a verb meaning ‘to violate’, ‘to infringe’, or ‘to encroach upon’—typically implying an unauthorized, harmful, or unlawful intrusion into someone’s rights, territory, privacy, or physical integrity. The character 侵 (qīn) means ‘to invade’ or ‘to encroach’, often suggesting gradual or stealthy entry; 犯 (fàn) means ‘to violate’ or ‘to offend’, carrying connotations of breaking rules or boundaries. Together, they form a compound emphasizing intentional, wrongful intrusion that causes harm or disruption.

This word is commonly used in legal, medical, and social contexts—for example, describing infringement of intellectual property, violation of personal privacy, or the spread of disease into healthy tissue (e.g., cancer cells invading surrounding organs). It carries a formal, serious tone and is rarely used in casual speech. Unlike more neutral terms like ‘enter’ or ‘go into’, 侵犯 always implies wrongdoing, illegitimacy, or threat to established boundaries.