罪案 (zuì àn) — criminal case | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

criminal case

Measure word · 起

Examples

罪案。
Zhè qǐ zuì àn shè jí duō míng xián yí rén.
This criminal case involves multiple suspects.
罪案。
Jǐng fāng zhèng zài diào chá nà qǐ zuì àn.
The police are investigating that criminal case.
罪案。
Xiǎo shuō lǐ de zuì àn qíng jié fēi cháng qū zhé.
The criminal case plot in the novel is very twisty.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

罪 means crime and 案 means case, so 罪案 is a criminal case.

Characters in this word

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

罒非罪

罒网wǎngnet
非非fēimistake

罪 puts 罒 (a net, written fully as 网) over 非 (mistake).

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木安案

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān案àn

Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Appears in

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