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贪污 (tān wū) — to embezzle (public funds or property); to be corrupt (of government officials)

Definition

贪污 (tānwū) is a verb meaning to embezzle public money — a concrete act by an official, narrower than the broader 腐败 ('corrupt' as a state). Pairs with 公款/资金; use 受贿 for accepting bribes.

verb
to embezzle (public funds or property)to be corrupt (of government officials)

Examples

  • 贪污。
    Tā yīn wèi tān wū gōng kuǎn bèi pàn le sān nián xíng.
    He was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling public funds.
  • 贪污。
    Nà ge guān yuán tān wū le dà liàng de zī jīn.
    That official embezzled a large amount of funds.
  • 贪污。
    Wǒ men yào fáng zhǐ rèn hé rén tān wū.
    We must prevent anyone from embezzling.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

贪tāncovetous
污wūcorrupt

贪 means covetous and 污 means corrupt, so together they describe greed and corruption.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貪; 贪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn貪tān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貪 places 今 (open mouth) above 貝 (money); 今 gives the sound, and 貝 relates to the meaning. 贪 is the simplified shorthand.

Open 贪 →

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 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
于
于yú汙wū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Open 污 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Crime & Police

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