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栽赃 (zāi zāng) — to frame (someone by planting evidence)

Definition

栽赃 is a verb meaning to frame someone by planting evidence or false items on them. Sharper than 陷害 and 诬陷: it specifically highlights planting physical evidence, not just false accusations.

verb
to frame (someone by planting evidence)

Examples

  • 栽赃，。
    Tā bèi rén zāi zāng le, dàn qí shí shì qīng bái de.
    He was framed by someone, but he is actually innocent.
  • 栽赃。
    Jǐng chá fā xiàn yǒu rén gù yì zāi zāng.
    The police discovered that someone deliberately planted evidence.
  • 栽赃。
    Nǐ zhè yàng zuò shì zài zāi zāng hǎo rén.
    What you are doing is framing a good person.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

栽zāiplant
赃zāngstolen goods

栽 means to plant, 赃 means stolen goods, so the word describes planting evidence to frame someone.

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏栽zāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

栽 is made from 木 and 𢦏: 木 is the wood/tree part, and 𢦏 points to the sound.

Open 栽 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 贓; 赃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
Sound part声符shēngfú
臧
臧zāng贓zāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 贓 uses 貝, the shell character, to show money, and 臧 to give the sound. The simplified 赃 is a shorthand; its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 赃 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Crime & Police

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