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指责 (zhǐ zé) — to criticize, to denounce, to find fault with

Definition

指责 is a direct, personal 'to criticize / find fault with', often face-to-face. It is milder than 谴责 (formal, public condemnation) and more pointed than 批评 (which can be constructive).

verb
to criticizeto denounceto find fault with

Examples

  • 指责。
    Zhèng fǔ de xíng wéi shòu dào le gè fāng de zhǐ zé.
    The government's actions have been criticized from all sides.
  • 指责，。
    Tā cóng bù gōng kāi zhǐ zé bié rén, zǒng shì sī xià gōu tōng.
    He never criticizes others publicly; he always communicates privately.
  • 指责。
    Méi tǐ zhǐ zé zhè jiā gōng sī yǐn mán le zhēn xiàng.
    The media accused this company of concealing the truth.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

指zhǐpoint out
责zéblame

指 points out a fault and 责 blames it, together giving criticize.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 責; 责 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 責 pairs 貝, cowry/money, with 朿 as the sound part; the simplified 责 is a later shorthand.

Open 责 →
Appears in
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