罪证 (zuì zhèng) — proof of crime, evidence of a crime | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

proof of crimeevidence of a crime

Measure word · 个

Examples

罪证。
Jǐng chá zhǎo dào le tā de zuì zhèng.
The police found his evidence of crime.
罪证。
Zhè xiē zuì zhèng zú yǐ zhèng míng tā yǒu zuì.
This evidence is enough to prove his guilt.
罪证。
Fǎ tíng shàng chū shì le suǒ yǒu zuì zhèng.
All evidence of crime was presented in court.

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 “crime” and 证 “proof” combine to mean proof of a crime.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

言登證

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

登

登dēng證zhèng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Crime & Police Law & Justice

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