Definition
死罪 has two primary meanings. In modern legal context, it refers to a capital offense — a crime punishable by death. Historically, when used in memorials to the emperor, it functioned as a self-deprecating phrase meaning 'I beg your forgiveness' or 'I have committed an unpardonable offense.' The historical usage often appears reduplicated as 死罪死罪.
n.
capital offensecrime punishable by death(historical) a self-deprecating phrase used in memorials to the emperormeaning 'I beg your forgiveness'
Examples
- 死罪，。Tā fàn le sǐ zuì, bèi pànchǔ sǐxíng.He committed a capital offense and was sentenced to death.
- 死罪。Gǔdài chénzǐ zài zòuzhāng zhōng chángyòng sǐ zuì zhè yì qiān cí.Ancient ministers often used the humble phrase 'diezui' in their memorials.
- ，死罪。Xiàndài Hànyǔ zhōng, sǐ zuì zhège cí yǐjīng hěn shǎo yòng le.In modern Chinese, the word 'diezui' is rarely used anymore.
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