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谢罪 (xiè zuì) — to formally apologize for an offense or wrongdoing

Definition

谢罪 is a formal, written verb meaning to publicly apologize for a wrongdoing — heavier than 道歉 (everyday 'apologize') and used in official or solemn contexts.

verb
to formally apologize for an offense or wrongdoing

Examples

  • 谢罪。
    Tā bì xū gōng kāi xiè zuì cái néng huò dé yuán liàng.
    He must publicly apologize to be forgiven.
  • 。
    Tā yǐ jīng zài gōng zhòng miàn qián xiè le yí cì zuì.
    He has already apologized once in public.
  • 谢罪。
    Dāng miàn xiàng shòu hài zhě xiè zuì shì zuì jī běn de chéng yì.
    Apologizing to the victim in person is the most basic sincerity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

谢xièapologize
罪zuìoffense

谢 means apologize, and 罪 means offense, so 谢罪 is apologizing for an offense.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 謝; 谢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword; speech
Sound part声符shēngfú
射
射shè謝xiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 謝 pairs 言 (word; speech) with 射, which gives the sound. The simplified 谢 is a written form of this character.

Open 谢 →

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
Greetings & Politeness

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