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怪罪 (guài zuì) — to blame (someone for a fault); to reproach

Definition

怪罪 (guàizuì) means to blame or hold someone responsible for a fault, and is stronger and more accusatory than 埋怨 ('to grumble at') — it implies the person is at fault.

verb
to blame (someone for a fault)to reproach

Examples

  • 怪罪，。
    Zhè jiàn shì bù néng guài zuì tā, shuí dōu huì fàn zhè zhǒng cuò wù.
    You can't blame him for this; anyone could make this kind of mistake.
  • 怪罪，。
    Tā zǒng shì xǐ huan guài zuì bié rén, cóng bù fǎn xǐng zì jǐ.
    He always likes to blame others and never reflects on himself.
  • ，怪罪。
    Chū le wèn tí hòu, dà jiā dōu zài hù xiāng guài zuì.
    After the problem arose, everyone was blaming each other.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

怪guàiblame
罪zuìblame

怪 and 罪 both mean 'blame', so the word means 'to blame'.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
圣
圣shèng怪guài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怪 is built from 忄, a form of 心, which relates to mind or feeling, and 圣, which gives the sound.

Open 怪 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

罪 puts 罒 (a net, written fully as 网) over 非 (mistake).

Open 罪 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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