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受贿 (shòu huì) — to accept a bribe

Definition

受賄 is the verb for the receiving side of bribery — the official who takes the money. Compare 贿赂 (the act of offering/paying, used for both sides) and 贪污 (embezzling public funds, broader corruption).

verb
to accept a bribe

Examples

  • 。
    Tā shòu le yí cì huì.
    He accepted a bribe once.
  • 受贿？
    Tā shòu huì guò ma?
    Has he ever accepted a bribe?
  • 受贿。
    shòu huì Shì wéi fǎ de.
    Accepting bribes is illegal.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

受shòureceive
贿huìbribe

受 means to receive and 贿 means bribe, so it means to receive a bribe.

Characters in this word

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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 賄; 贿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
有
有yǒu賄huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賄 pairs 貝 (cowry; money) with 有 as the sound part; the simplified 贿 keeps 有 on the right.

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

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