shòuhàizhě: 受害者 - Victim

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• Summary: 受害者 (shòuhàizhě) is the primary Chinese word for “victim.” It directly translates to “one who receives harm” and is used to describe a person who has suffered injury, loss, or hardship due to a crime, accident, disaster, or injustice. This page explores its meaning, character breakdown, cultural context, and provides numerous practical examples to help you understand how to use 受害者 (shòuhàizhě) correctly when discussing topics from legal cases to personal misfortunes.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shòu hài zhě
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A person who suffers harm, injury, or loss from an action or event; a victim.
• In a Nutshell: 受害者 (shòuhàizhě) is a direct and somewhat formal term for “victim.” Its meaning is transparently built from its characters: “receive” + “harm” + “person.” It is the standard term used in news reports, legal contexts, and serious discussions about negative events. Think of it as the go-to word for identifying someone who has been negatively and directly affected by an external force.

• 受 (shòu): To receive, to accept, to suffer. This character implies a passive experience, where an action is being done to someone.
• 害 (hài): Harm, damage, or to cause trouble for. This character signifies the negative nature of the action being received.
• 者 (zhě): A common suffix that turns a verb or concept into a person, similar to “-er” or “-ist” in English. For example, 作者 (zuòzhě) is an “author” (the one who writes), and 记者 (jìzhě) is a “journalist” (the one who records).

Putting them together, 受害者 (shòuhàizhě) literally means “the person who receives harm,” making its meaning unmistakable.

The concept of a “victim” in China carries both legal and deep-seated cultural weight. While Western cultures often emphasize a victim's individual rights, public testimony, and psychological recovery (empowerment), the Chinese context can be influenced by different social values. Compared to the American focus on individual justice and expression, Chinese culture sometimes places a higher value on social harmony (和谐, héxié) and face (面子, miànzi). A person identified as a 受害者 might feel a sense of shame or “losing face,” not because of the event itself, but because it brings misfortune and disruption to the family or community. There can be a social pressure to resolve matters privately or “move on” quickly to restore balance, rather than engaging in a prolonged public conflict. This doesn't mean victims' rights are ignored—the legal system certainly recognizes and deals with 受害者. However, the social expression of victimhood can be more subdued. An individual might be reluctant to publicly identify as a 受害者 to avoid being seen as a source of trouble or burdening others. This is gradually changing with modern social development, but the underlying cultural preference for harmony remains influential.

受害者 is a common and important word, primarily used in formal or serious contexts. 1. Legal and News Reporting This is the most frequent use. You will see and hear it constantly in news broadcasts, newspaper articles, and legal documents concerning crimes, accidents, and disasters.

• e.g., “The police are interviewing the victims of the robbery.” (警方正在约谈抢劫案的受害者。)

2. Social Issues and Commentary It's used to discuss societal problems like domestic violence, fraud, bullying, or systemic injustice. It frames the issue by clearly identifying who is being harmed.

• e.g., “We need to provide more support for victims of online scams.” (我们应该为网络诈骗的受害者提供更多支持。)

3. General or Metaphorical Use In conversation, it can be used to describe being the disadvantaged party in any situation, though using it for trivial matters can sound overly dramatic.

• e.g., “He felt he was the biggest victim in the whole affair.” (他觉得自己是整个事件中最大的受害者。)

The connotation is generally one of sympathy and neutrality. It is a factual descriptor.

• Example 1:
  • 警方正在努力寻找这起抢劫案的受害者。
  • Pinyin: Jǐngfāng zhèngzài nǔlì xúnzhǎo zhè qǐ qiǎngjié'àn de shòuhàizhě.
  • English: The police are working hard to find the victim(s) of this robbery.
  • Analysis: A standard, formal use of the term in a law enforcement context.
• Example 2:
  • 红十字会正在为地震受害者提供援助。
  • Pinyin: Hóng shízì huì zhèngzài wèi dìzhèn shòuhàizhě tígōng yuánzhù.
  • English: The Red Cross is providing aid to the earthquake victims.
  • Analysis: Used here to refer to victims of a natural disaster. This is a very common context.
• Example 3:
  • 很多老年人成为电信诈骗的受害者。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō lǎoniánrén chéngwéi diànxìn zhàpiàn de shòuhàizhě.
  • English: Many elderly people become victims of telecom fraud.
  • Analysis: Highlights its use in discussing social problems and crime trends.
• Example 4:
  • 我们应该更多地关注家庭暴力的受害者。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yīnggāi gèng duō de guānzhù jiātíng bàolì de shòuhàizhě.
  • English: We should pay more attention to the victims of domestic violence.
  • Analysis: A call to action regarding a serious social issue.
• Example 5:
  • 事故的受害者被迅速送往医院。
  • Pinyin: Shìgù de shòuhàizhě bèi xùnsù sòng wǎng yīyuàn.
  • English: The victim(s) of the accident were quickly sent to the hospital.
  • Analysis: The term 受害者 is general. If you wanted to be specific about their state, you could use 伤者 (shāngzhě, the injured) or 遇难者 (yùnànzhě, the deceased).
• Example 6:
  • 他觉得自己是公司政治中无辜的受害者。
  • Pinyin: Tā juéde zìjǐ shì gōngsī zhèngzhì zhōng wúgū de shòuhàizhě.
  • English: He felt he was an innocent victim of office politics.
  • Analysis: A slightly more metaphorical use, applying the concept of harm to a non-physical, social situation.
• Example 7:
  • 法庭上，受害者的律师要求赔偿。
  • Pinyin: Fǎtíng shàng, shòuhàizhě de lǜshī yāoqiú péicháng.
  • English: In court, the victim's lawyer demanded compensation.
  • Analysis: A classic legal context.
• Example 8:
  • 作为受害者，她有权知道真相。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi shòuhàizhě, tā yǒu quán zhīdào zhēnxiàng.
  • English: As the victim, she has the right to know the truth.
  • Analysis: The phrase 作为 (zuòwéi) means “as” or “in the capacity of,” and is often used with roles like 受害者.
• Example 9:
  • 这些儿童是战争的最大受害者。
  • Pinyin: Zhèxiē értóng shì zhànzhēng de zuìdà shòuhàizhě.
  • English: These children are the biggest victims of the war.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how it can be used to describe a group of people affected by a large-scale event.
• Example 10:
  • 不要扮演受害者，你必须为自己的选择负责。
  • Pinyin: Búyào bànyǎn shòuhàizhě, nǐ bìxū wèi zìjǐ de xuǎnzé fùzé.
  • English: Don't play the victim; you have to be responsible for your own choices.
  • Analysis: This shows the concept of “victim mentality” or “playing the victim” (扮演受害者, bànyǎn shòuhàizhě), which carries a negative connotation similar to English.

• Formality Level: 受害者 is more formal than “victim” can be in English. You would not use it for minor inconveniences. Using it for a trivial problem (e.g., “My coffee is cold, I'm a victim!”) would sound bizarre and overly dramatic in Chinese. For small complaints, you would just state the problem directly.
  • Incorrect: 我没赶上公交车，我是交通系统的受害者。(Wǒ méi gǎnshàng gōngjiāochē, wǒ shì jiāotōng xìtǒng de shòuhàizhě.) - “I missed the bus, I'm a victim of the transportation system.” (This is comically dramatic).
  • Correct: 唉，公交车刚走。(Āi, gōngjiāochē gāng zǒu.) - “Sigh, the bus just left.”
• 受害者 (shòuhàizhě) vs. 受难者 (shòunànzhě): These are similar, but 受难者 (shòunànzhě) implies a much greater scale of suffering, often related to historical persecution, a major catastrophe, or martyrdom. 受害者 is a more general, neutral term for anyone who has been harmed. All 受难者 are 受害者, but not all 受害者 are 受难者.
• Specificity: Remember that 受害者 implies harm from an external agent or event. You would not call someone suffering from a congenital disease a 受害者 unless their condition was caused by something external, like pollution or medical malpractice.

• 加害者 (jiāhàizhě) - Perpetrator, aggressor. The direct antonym of 受害者; the one who inflicts the harm.
• 受难者 (shòunànzhě) - Victim/sufferer of a great calamity or persecution. Carries a heavier, more tragic connotation than 受害者.
• 遇难者 (yùnànzhě) - Fatality, victim (deceased). This term is used specifically for those who have died in an accident, disaster, or attack.
• 伤者 (shāngzhě) - The injured person/people. More specific than 受害者, as it refers only to those who have sustained physical injuries.
• 当事人 (dāngshìrén) - The party (or parties) concerned; litigant. A neutral legal term for anyone directly involved in an incident or case, which could include the victim or the perpetrator.
• 伤害 (shānghài) - (v./n.) To injure, to harm; injury, harm. This is the action or result that creates a 受害者.
• 赔偿 (péicháng) - (v./n.) To compensate; compensation, reparations. What a 受害者 often seeks in a legal case.
• 弱势群体 (ruòshì qúntǐ) - Vulnerable social groups. A broader sociological term for groups that are at higher risk of becoming 受害者 due to their social or economic position.
• 欺负 (qīfu) - To bully, to pick on. A common verb describing an action that creates a 受害者, especially in a social or school context.