賄
bribe, board, supply, finance
Readings
On'yomi
- ワイ
Kun'yomi
- まかな.う
Meaning
賄 centers on providing resources, especially money or goods, to sustain something or someone. The bribe sense is a specific, often illicit, application of supplying funds.
Most common words using 賄
- 賄賂わいろN1
bribe; sweetener; douceur
- 賄うまかなうN1
to supply (goods, money, etc.); to cover (costs); to pay; to finance; to maintain (e.g. a family)
- 収賄しゅうわい
accepting a bribe
- 賄いまかない
boarding; board; meals; catering; cook
- 贈賄ぞうわい
giving a bribe; bribery
- 贈収賄ぞうしゅうわい
bribery; corruption
- あっせん収賄あっせんしゅうわい
influence peddling
- 収賄事件しゅうわいじけん
bribery case; bribery scandal; graft case
- 収賄罪しゅうわいざい
(the crime of) bribery
- 受託収賄罪じゅたくしゅうわいざい
(the crime of) bribery
- 賄い婦まかないふ
female cook
- 賄い方まかないかた
kitchen manager; chef; cook
- 賄賂罪わいろざい
(crime of) bribery
- 贈賄罪ぞうわいざい
crime of bribery
- 需要を賄うじゅようをまかなう
to meet the demand
Study
Etymology
賄 combines 貝 (shell, money) with 有 (to have, possess), suggesting the idea of having money or goods to supply or finance. The bribe sense likely developed from the notion of providing money for illicit purposes.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 貝 represents money or valuables, and the right side 有 means to have or possess. Picture someone having money on hand to supply a board or to finance a project—and sometimes that money is used as a bribe.
Reading mnemonic
For ワイ, imagine a corrupt official asking 'Why?' (ワイ) when offered a bribe, as if questioning the need, while secretly pocketing the money.