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开脱 (kāi tuō) — to exonerate; to vindicate (sb from blame or responsibility)

Definition

开脱 means to clear someone of blame or responsibility — often by arguing they are not at fault. It implies removing or shifting guilt, different from simply defending (辩护) or excusing (原谅) someone.

verb
to exonerateto vindicate (sb from blame or responsibility)

Examples

  • 开脱。
    Bú yào zǒng wèi tā kāi tuō.
    Don't always exonerate him.
  • 开脱。
    Tā shì tú wèi zì jǐ kāi tuō zé rèn.
    He tried to absolve himself of responsibility.
  • 开脱。
    Lǜ shī zài fǎ tíng shàng jié lì wèi bèi gào kāi tuō.
    The lawyer did his best to vindicate the defendant in court.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

开kāiloosen
脱tuōshed

开 and 脱 both suggest loosening or shedding, together meaning to clear someone from blame.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì脫tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 脱 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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