矛盾

Chinese

		spear; lance; pike	shield
simp. and trad. (矛盾)		矛	盾
alternative forms		矛楯
Literally: “lance and shield”.

Etymology

From a tale in Han Feizi [circa 2nd century BC].

楚人有鬻盾與矛者，譽之曰：「吾盾之堅，物莫能陷之。」以譽其矛曰：「吾矛之利，於物無不陷也。」或曰：「以子之矛陷子之盾，何如？」其人弗能應也。夫不可陷之盾與無不陷之矛，不可同世而立。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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楚人有鬻盾与矛者，誉之曰：「吾盾之坚，物莫能陷之。」以誉其矛曰：「吾矛之利，于物无不陷也。」或曰：「以子之矛陷子之盾，何如？」其人弗能应也。夫不可陷之盾与无不陷之矛，不可同世而立。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

Chǔ rén yǒu yù dùn yǔ máo zhě, yù zhī yuē: “Wú dùn zhī jiān, wù mò néng xiàn zhī.” Yǐ yù qí máo yuē: “Wú máo zhī lì, yú wù wú bù xiàn yě.” Huò yuē: “Yǐ zǐ zhī máo xiàn zǐ zhī dùn, hérú?” Qí rén fú néng yìng yě. Fú bùkě xiàn zhī dùn yǔ wú bù xiàn zhī máo, bùkě tóng shì ér lì. [Pinyin]

There was once a man in the state of Chu, who was selling shields and lances. He was praising them saying: “My shields are so firm, that there is nothing that can pierce them.” He praised his lances saying: “My lances are so sharp, that there is nothing that they cannot pierce.” Someone asked: “What if you used your lances to pierce your shields?” The man could not answer. A shield that cannot be pierced and a lance that can pierce everything cannot exist in the same world.

Noun

(deprecated template usage) 矛盾

1. contradiction; inconsistency; disagreement; incongruity

   加劇矛盾／加剧矛盾  ―  jiājù máodùn  ―  heightening the contradictions

2. problem; issue; conflict

   階級矛盾／阶级矛盾  ―  jiējí máodùn  ―  class conflict

3. (logic, philosophy) paradox

Synonyms

• (problem): 難題／难题 (nántí), 問題／问题 (wèntí)
• (paradox): 悖論／悖论 (bèilùn)

Adjective

(deprecated template usage) 矛盾

1. conflicted; vacillating between two options

   他的心裡很矛盾。 [MSC, trad.]
   他的心里很矛盾。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā de xīnli hěn máodùn. [Pinyin]

   He is feeling really conflicted.

Synonyms

• 糾結／纠结 (jiūjié)

Derived terms

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (矛盾):

• → Japanese: 矛盾(むじゅん) (mujun)
• → Korean: 모순(矛盾) (mosun)
• → Vietnamese: mâu thuẫn (矛盾)

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
矛	盾
む Grade: S	じゅん Grade: S
on'yomi

Alternative forms

• 矛楯

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 矛盾 (MC mjuw zywinX), literally 矛 (“lance, spear”) + 盾 (“shield”). See the Chinese etymology section for the full derivation.

Noun

矛(む)盾(じゅん) • (mujun) 

1. a contradiction, an inconsistency, a paradox

Synonyms

• 撞(どう)着(ちゃく) (dōchaku)
• 逆(ぎゃく)説(せつ) (gyakusetsu)
• パラドックス (paradokkusu)

Verb

矛(む)盾(じゅん)する • (mujun suru) suru (stem 矛(む)盾(じゅん)し (mujun shi), past 矛(む)盾(じゅん)した (mujun shita))

1. to be inconsistent, to be in contradiction, to be incompatible with

   彼(かれ)が今日(きょう)主(しゅ)張(ちょう)する内(ない)容(よう)は昨日(きのう)の行(こう)動(どう)と矛(む)盾(じゅん)している。

   Kare ga kyō shuchō suru naiyō wa kinō no kōdō to mujun shite iru.

   What he's going on about today isn't compatible with his behavior yesterday.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "矛盾する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	矛盾し	むじゅんし	mujun shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	矛盾し	むじゅんし	mujun shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	矛盾する	むじゅんする	mujun suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	矛盾する	むじゅんする	mujun suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	矛盾すれ	むじゅんすれ	mujun sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	矛盾せよ¹ 矛盾しろ²	むじゅんせよ¹ むじゅんしろ²	mujun seyo¹ mujun shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	矛盾される	むじゅんされる	mujun sareru
Causative	矛盾させる 矛盾さす	むじゅんさせる むじゅんさす	mujun saseru mujun sasu
Potential	矛盾できる	むじゅんできる	mujun dekiru
Volitional	矛盾しよう	むじゅんしよう	mujun shiyō
Negative	矛盾しない	むじゅんしない	mujun shinai
Negative continuative	矛盾せず	むじゅんせず	mujun sezu
Formal	矛盾します	むじゅんします	mujun shimasu
Perfective	矛盾した	むじゅんした	mujun shita
Conjunctive	矛盾して	むじゅんして	mujun shite
Hypothetical conditional	矛盾すれば	むじゅんすれば	mujun sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

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Korean

Hanja in this term
矛	盾

Noun

矛盾 • (mosun) (hangeul 모순)

1. Hanja form^? of 모순 (“contradiction”).

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Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
矛	盾

Noun

矛盾

1. chữ Hán form of mâu thuẫn (“contradiction”).