赎 shú ransom
ransom; to buy; to redeem
怎么记住“赎”: 贝 sea shell + 卖 sell = ransom. When his sister kidnaps his stuffed dog, the boy has to sell his best sea shell to pay the ransom.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
赎 = 贝 sea shell + 卖 sell
- 贝 sea shell meaning
- 卖 sell sound
- 十 ten
- 买 to buy
- 乛 cap
- 头 head
When his sister kidnaps his stuffed dog, the boy has to sell his best sea shell to pay the ransom.
How it came to be
The shell gives the meaning; the right part only looks like the sign for sell and gives the sound.
用法
- To redeem/ransom/buy back: 赎金 (shújīn) ransom money, 赎身 (shúshēn) to buy one's freedom, 赎回 (shúhuí) to redeem (a pawned item, a bond).
- 赎罪 (shúzuì) means to atone for one's sins / make amends: 将功赎罪 (jiānggōng-shúzuì) to atone through merit. The 'atone' sense is common figuratively.