‘叛徒’ (pàn tú) is a compound noun meaning 'traitor' — someone who betrays their country, group, cause, or trusted relationship. The first character 叛 (pàn) means 'to rebel' or 'to betray', carrying strong negative connotations of disloyalty and defiance. The second character 徒 (tú) originally meant 'disciple' or 'follower', but in compounds like this it often denotes a person associated with the action — here, someone defined by their act of betrayal. Together, they form a highly charged, morally loaded term used in political, historical, and literary contexts.

This word is not used lightly in Chinese; it implies serious moral condemnation and carries emotional weight similar to English words like 'turncoat' or 'quisling'. It appears frequently in historical narratives, patriotic education, and political discourse — for example, describing those who collaborated with foreign invaders during wartime. While grammatically a noun, it functions as a strong epithet and is rarely used in neutral or casual speech.