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赔罪 (péi zuì) — to apologize (for a wrongdoing)

Definition

To apologize specifically for a wrongdoing — the 罪 (罪过 / fault) is built into the word, so it's stronger and more formal than a plain 道歉. Often used with 给/向 + person to indicate the target of the apology.

verb
to apologize (for a wrongdoing)

Examples

  • 赔罪。
    Tā yǐ jīng xiàng wǒ péi zuì le.
    He has already apologized to me.
  • 。
    Nǐ yīng gāi gěi tā péi gè zuì.
    You should apologize to him.
  • ，。
    Tā yīn wèi shuō cuò huà, péi le hǎo jǐ cì zuì.
    Because he said the wrong thing, he apologized several times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

赔péicompensate
罪zuìoffense

赔 means compensate and 罪 means offense, so together they mean making amends 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 賠; 赔 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu賠péi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 賠, 貝 (shell; money) shows the idea of making amends, and 咅 supplies the sound; the simplified 赔 is a later shorthand.

Open 赔 →

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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