<p>囚犯, this word is the ancient Chinese language, and the usage scenario is usually in ancient China. This word is used to refer to those who have been caught and convicted</p>

<p>囚徒, the word is also an ancient Chinese language, used to refer to people who are caught and imprisoned. These people do not necessarily violate the law, but are imprisoned for certain reasons (for example, these people are suspected of committing crimes) If you are caught, you will become a 囚徒 if you are locked up</p>

<p>犯人, this word appears more in modern Chinese language. This term is used to refer to those who have violated the law and have been sentenced by the court to the penalty.</p>

<ol>
<li>囚 can act as an action to express detention, detention, etc. For example, there is a word in Chinese that is "囚禁", which means that detention is held.</li>
<li>囚 can also be used as nouns to refer to places such as prisons with detention functions. For example, there is a word "囚牢" in Chinese, which means prison, which is a noun.</li>
<li>In addition, 囚 can also be used as adjectives to indicate a restricted state.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-06T10:00:59.547Z
2020-06-06T10:00:59.547Z
Abel
<p>犯人 is the most used word when you refer to a prisoner, like "John".</p>

<p>囚犯 is the word when you refer to social status, identity, class</p>

<p>囚徒 is a literary word nowadays, usually refer to a good guy, though he may violate laws, if you don't want to use a word with social prejudice, you can choose 囚徒.</p>

<p>for example, the book Convict Conditioning is translated as 囚徒健身</p>

<p>You can also say 我是我自己的囚徒, which could mean you can not get rid of your past bad experience... who knows, something like that</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-08T12:27:50.227Z
2020-06-08T12:27:50.227Z
sfy
<p>囚犯 and 囚徒 means prisoner.</p>

<p>犯人 means someone who commit a crime.</p>

<p>囚 means confine people.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T12:04:34.680Z
Thank you, your post was useful and explicative
Alberto Ribeiro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-31T07:37:44.213Z
2019-12-31T07:37:44.213Z
000
<p>犯 means "commit", and it is the same as 犯人.
囚 can mean the prison, prisoner or imprisoning someone.
徒 is similar to 人, just means a person.</p>

<p>犯人 and 囚犯 both emphasize that he or she is guilty, but 囚徒 doesn't.
犯人 does not emphasize he or she is in prison now.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T12:08:16.167Z
Tnx a lot this post fulfil very well with the others' ones
Alberto Ribeiro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-30T02:20:35.890Z
2019-12-30T02:20:35.890Z
66CCFF
<p>囚: imprison</p>

<p>犯: criminal</p>

<p>徒: person</p>

<p>囚犯 and 囚徒 are mostly interchangeable, 囚徒 is more literary.</p>

<p>犯人 means criminal, not necessarily in prison.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T12:03:13.843Z
Tnx Jason you really helped me out
Alberto Ribeiro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-30T02:31:12.347Z
2019-12-30T02:31:12.347Z
Jason Swift
<p>For those who are interested, here's a lovely song which use the word 囚 in the metaphorical sense.</p>

<p><a href="https://youtu.be/KV6Fkg86q1E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/KV6Fkg86q1E</a></p>

<p><a href="https://youtu.be/pSqIJFr11xk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/pSqIJFr11xk</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-03T12:26:18.850Z
I really aprecciate this, it's good i can study as checking the pronounce
Alberto Ribeiro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-31T08:22:49.653Z
2019-12-31T12:08:12.380Z
2019-12-31T12:08:12.380Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>I was searching online and I found out that there are several meanings for the word "prisoner" and I couldn't find the differences or a reason for it, therefore I'd like some help for this.</p>

<grammar><characters><sentence-structure>
What's the difference between 囚犯, 囚徒, 犯人 and 囚 and how does it affect a sentence?
# What's the difference between 囚犯, 囚徒, 犯人 and 囚 and how does it affect a sentence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-30)

I was searching online and I found out that there are several meanings for the word "prisoner" and I couldn't find the differences or a reason for it, therefore I'd like some help for this.

**Tags:** grammar, characters, sentence-structure


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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-06. Score: 2

囚犯, this word is the ancient Chinese language, and the usage scenario is usually in ancient China. This word is used to refer to those who have been caught and convicted

囚徒, the word is also an ancient Chinese language, used to refer to people who are caught and imprisoned. These people do not necessarily violate the law, but are imprisoned for certain reasons (for example, these people are suspected of committing crimes) If you are caught, you will become a 囚徒 if you are locked up

犯人, this word appears more in modern Chinese language. This term is used to refer to those who have violated the law and have been sentenced by the court to the penalty.

1. 囚 can act as an action to express detention, detention, etc. For example, there is a word in Chinese that is "囚禁", which means that detention is held.
2. 囚 can also be used as nouns to refer to places such as prisons with detention functions. For example, there is a word "囚牢" in Chinese, which means prison, which is a noun.
3. In addition, 囚 can also be used as adjectives to indicate a restricted state.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-08. Score: 1

犯人 is the most used word when you refer to a prisoner, like "John".

囚犯 is the word when you refer to social status, identity, class

囚徒 is a literary word nowadays, usually refer to a good guy, though he may violate laws, if you don't want to use a word with social prejudice, you can choose 囚徒.

for example, the book Convict Conditioning is translated as 囚徒健身

You can also say 我是我自己的囚徒, which could mean you can not get rid of your past bad experience... who knows, something like that


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-12-31. Score: 1

囚犯 and 囚徒 means prisoner.

犯人 means someone who commit a crime.

囚 means confine people.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you, your post was useful and explicative  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-12-30. Score: 1

犯 means "commit", and it is the same as 犯人.
囚 can mean the prison, prisoner or imprisoning someone.
徒 is similar to 人, just means a person.

犯人 and 囚犯 both emphasize that he or she is guilty, but 囚徒 doesn't.
犯人 does not emphasize he or she is in prison now.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Tnx a lot this post fulfil very well with the others' ones  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2019-12-30. Score: 1

囚: imprison

犯: criminal

徒: person

囚犯 and 囚徒 are mostly interchangeable, 囚徒 is more literary.

犯人 means criminal, not necessarily in prison.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Tnx username_5 you really helped me out  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2019-12-31. Score: 0

For those who are interested, here's a lovely song which use the word 囚 in the metaphorical sense.

<https://youtu.be/KV6Fkg86q1E>

<https://youtu.be/pSqIJFr11xk>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I really aprecciate this, it's good i can study as checking the pronounce  

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