(shè) — to pardon, to remit (punishment)

Definition

verb
to pardonto remit (punishment)

Examples

  • Huáng dì shè le tā de sǐ zuì.
    The emperor pardoned his death sentence.
  • Tā yīn lì gōng ér bèi shè miǎn.
    He was pardoned because of his meritorious service.
  • Dà shè tiān xià shì gǔ dài huáng dì de quán lì.
    A general amnesty was the power of ancient emperors.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
hand holding a stick
Sound part声符shēngfú
shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form of 赦 paired 亦 as a sound part with 攴, a hand holding a stick; later writing changed the sound part.

Appears in

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