fǎnjī: 反击 - To Counter-Attack, To Strike Back, To Fight Back

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• Summary: “反击 (fǎnjī)” is a powerful Chinese verb and noun meaning to counter-attack, strike back, or fight back. It describes a reactive, defensive action taken in response to an initial attack or provocation. Whether used in a military conflict, a sports match, a business negotiation, or a heated debate, 反击 (fǎnjī) always implies that you are responding to an aggressor, not initiating the conflict yourself. Understanding this term is key to grasping concepts of defense, retort, and justified response in Chinese culture.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fǎn jī
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To strike back at an attacker; a counter-attack.
• In a Nutshell: Think of “反击 (fǎnjī)” as the action you take after you've been “hit” first. The “hit” could be a physical punch, an enemy's military advance, a competitor's new product, or a verbal insult. Your response—the return punch, the military offensive, the rival product launch, or the sharp rebuttal—is the “反击”. It's a strong, decisive, and often justified action of turning the tables on an aggressor.

• 反 (fǎn): This character's original meaning is to “turn over” or “reverse”. Think of flipping your hand over. It represents opposition, reversal, and returning something to its source.
• 击 (jī): This character means “to hit” or “to strike”. The radical on the left, 扌(a form of 手 shǒu), means “hand,” indicating a physical action of striking.
• When combined, 反击 (fǎnjī) literally means “to reverse-strike” or “to strike-back”. The characters perfectly capture the meaning of returning an attack to the person who initiated it.

“反击 (fǎnjī)” is more than just a tactical term; it's deeply embedded in the Chinese cultural and political psyche. It often carries a strong sense of righteousness and justification. In Chinese history and modern political discourse, the nation is often framed as a peaceful entity that does not seek conflict but will not hesitate to 反击 if provoked. This aligns with the concept of 自卫 (zìwèi) - self-defense. The narrative of China's “Century of Humiliation” (百年国耻) ending with its modern rise is often seen as a form of national 反击 against historical foreign aggression.

• Comparison to a Western Concept: Compare 反击 (fǎnjī) to the English phrase “to fight back”. While they are very similar, “fight back” can sometimes be used by the initial aggressor if they start losing a fight they started (e.g., “The bully hit the small kid, but the kid started to fight back hard.”). 反击, however, almost exclusively implies that you are the one who was attacked first. It positions the actor as the defender responding to an unjust initial action, giving it a stronger moral high ground than the more neutral “counter-attack” might imply in English.

“反击” is a formal and strong term used across various domains.

• Military and Politics: This is its most classical usage. You will see it constantly in news reports about international relations and military strategy. (e.g., “We reserve the right to counter-attack.”)
• Sports: In sports commentary, especially for games like soccer (足球) or basketball (篮球), a “快速反击 (kuàisù fǎnjī)” is a “fast break” or “quick counter-attack” where a team immediately turns defense into offense after gaining possession of the ball.
• Business and Law: Companies can launch a 反击 against a competitor's marketing campaign or price cut. Lawyers in a courtroom 反击 the opposition's arguments.
• Debates and Arguments: When someone makes a sharp, witty, or logical rebuttal to an accusation or argument, it's a powerful 反击. It's much stronger and more formal than a simple disagreement.

• Example 1:
  • 我军成功地反击了敌人的进攻。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ jūn chénggōng de fǎnjī le dírén de jìngōng.
  • English: Our army successfully counter-attacked the enemy's offensive.
  • Analysis: A classic military context. This sentence clearly shows 反击 as a response to an initial “进攻 (jìngōng)” or attack.
• Example 2:
  • 面对毫无根据的指责，她立刻进行了有力的反击。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì háo wú gēnjù de zhǐzé, tā lìkè jìnxíng le yǒulì de fǎnjī.
  • English: Facing the baseless accusations, she immediately launched a powerful rebuttal.
  • Analysis: Here, 反击 is used as a noun (“a counter-attack / a rebuttal”) in a verbal context. “有力 (yǒulì)” means “powerful” or “strong”.
• Example 3:
  • 那支球队在下半场发动了多次快速反击。
  • Pinyin: Nà zhī qiúduì zài xiàbànchǎng fādòng le duō cì kuàisù fǎnjī.
  • English: That team initiated multiple fast counter-attacks in the second half.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in sports. “快速反击 (kuàisù fǎnjī)” is a set phrase for a “fast break”.
• Example 4:
  • 他用优异的成绩反击了所有看不起他的人。
  • Pinyin: Tā yòng yōuyì de chéngjī fǎnjī le suǒyǒu kànbuqǐ tā de rén.
  • English: He used his excellent grades to strike back at everyone who looked down on him.
  • Analysis: This shows a powerful figurative use. The “attack” was the disdain of others, and his “counter-attack” was his success.
• Example 5:
  • 如果他们对我们实施制裁，我们必定会反击。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ tāmen duì wǒmen shíshī zhìcái, wǒmen bìdìng huì fǎnjī.
  • English: If they impose sanctions on us, we will certainly strike back.
  • Analysis: A common sentence structure in political or economic news. “必定 (bìdìng)” emphasizes the certainty of the response.
• Example 6:
  • 这次反击是自卫的必要措施。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì fǎnjī shì zìwèi de bìyào cuòshī.
  • English: This counter-attack was a necessary measure of self-defense.
  • Analysis: Here, 反击 is used as a noun. This sentence explicitly links the action to the justification of “自卫 (zìwèi) - self-defense.”
• Example 7:
  • 在辩论中，他的每一个观点都遭到了对手的反击。
  • Pinyin: Zài biànlùn zhōng, tā de měi yī ge guāndiǎn dōu zāodào le duìshǒu de fǎnjī.
  • English: In the debate, every one of his points was met with a counter-argument from his opponent.
  • Analysis: “遭到…反击 (zāodào…fǎnjī)” is a common passive structure meaning “to be met with a counter-attack”.
• Example 8:
  • 我们的新产品是对竞争对手的直接反击。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn shì duì jìngzhēng duìshǒu de zhíjiē fǎnjī.
  • English: Our new product is a direct counter-attack against our competitor.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the term's use in a business context, treating a product launch as a strategic move.
• Example 9:
  • 别惹他，他的口头反击非常尖锐。
  • Pinyin: Bié rě tā, tā de kǒutóu fǎnjī fēicháng jiānruì.
  • English: Don't provoke him, his verbal counter-attacks are extremely sharp.
  • Analysis: “口头 (kǒutóu)” specifies the counter-attack is verbal. “尖锐 (jiānruì)” means “sharp” or “incisive”.
• Example 10:
  • 我们保留采取一切措施进行反击的权利。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bǎoliú cǎiqǔ yīqiè cuòshī jìnxíng fǎnjī de quánlì.
  • English: We reserve the right to take all measures to counter-attack.
  • Analysis: This is a very formal, diplomatic, and strong statement often heard in official government announcements.

• `反击 (fǎnjī)` vs. `报复 (bàofù)`: This is a crucial distinction.
  • 反击 (fǎnjī) is a counter-attack. It's often immediate, tactical, and a direct response to an ongoing or recent attack. It has a neutral-to-justified connotation.
  • 报复 (bàofù) is revenge or retaliation. It can happen long after the original offense, is driven more by emotion and a desire to punish, and often carries a negative connotation.
  • Incorrect Usage: If a rival company hurt your business a year ago and today you launch a smear campaign against them, that is 报复, not 反击.
• `反击 (fǎnjī)` requires a prior `攻击 (gōngjī)`: Remember, you can't 反击 out of nowhere. A 反击 is always a response to an 攻击 (gōngjī) - attack or 进攻 (jìngōng) - offensive. A common mistake for learners is to use 反击 when they mean to describe an initial attack.

• 攻击 (gōngjī) - Attack, assault. The action that provokes a 反击. It is the direct antonym.
• 进攻 (jìngōng) - Offensive, attack. A close synonym of `攻击`, very common in military and sports contexts.
• 报复 (bàofù) - To retaliate, to take revenge. A related concept but with a more negative, emotional, and less immediate connotation than 反击.
• 反驳 (fǎnbó) - To refute, to rebut. This is the purely verbal or intellectual form of 反击, used specifically for arguments and ideas.
• 抵抗 (dǐkàng) - To resist. A more general term for opposing a force. 反击 is an active form of `抵抗`, which can also be passive.
• 还击 (huánjī) - To return fire, to hit back. A very close synonym for 反击, perhaps slightly more direct and less formal.
• 自卫 (zìwèi) - Self-defense. The principle or justification that often underlies the act of 反击.