罪责 (zuì zé) — responsibility for an offense or crime

Definition

noun

responsibility for an offense or crime

罪责。
Tā bì xū wèi zì jǐ de xíng wéi chéng dān zuì zé.
He must bear responsibility for his own actions.
罪责。
Fǎ lǜ míng què guī dìng le měi gè rén de zuì zé.
The law clearly defines each person's responsibility for offenses.
，罪责。
Zài zhè qǐ àn jiàn zhōng, zhǔ yào zuì zé zài yú guǎn lǐ zhě.
In this case, the main responsibility for the offense lies with the manager.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

责zéresponsibility

罪 means offense and 责 means responsibility, so the word names responsibility for wrongdoing.

Characters in this word

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

罒非罪

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

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 責; 责 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèicowry; money

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì責zé

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 責 pairs 貝, cowry/money, with 朿 as the sound part; the simplified 责 is a later shorthand.

Appears in