问罪 (wèn zuì) — to denounce; to condemn (for wrongdoing)

Definition

A formal, written verb meaning 'to denounce or condemn' someone publicly for wrongdoing — stronger than 批评 ('criticize') and more rhetorical than 指责 ('reproach'). Common in political, media, or official contexts, not everyday speech.

verb
to denounceto condemn (for wrongdoing)

Examples

  • 问罪。
    Dà jiā gōng kāi wèn zuì tā de bù fǎ xíng wéi.
    Everyone publicly denounced his illegal actions.
  • ，。
    Lǐng dǎo wèn le tā de zuì, tā bèi pò cí zhí.
    The leaders denounced him and he was forced to resign.
  • 问罪。
    Méi tǐ wèn zuì gāi gōng sī de wū rǎn xíng wéi.
    The media condemned the company's pollution.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

问wènask
罪zuìguilt

问 and 罪 combine to mean asking about guilt, hence calling someone to account.

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 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén問wèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →

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 →

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