贓
bribery
Strokes22
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
贓 centers on illicit gain through corruption: bribery, where money or valuables are exchanged under the table to influence actions.
Most common words using 贓
Study
Etymology
贓 combines 貝 (shell, money) with 臧, which likely contributes the sound and carries a sense of hiding or storing away, together suggesting money hidden for corrupt purposes.
Meaning mnemonic
The shell/money radical 貝 sits beside the complex 臧, which looks like something being concealed. Picture a bribe hidden away in a secret stash.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a corrupt official hiding a bribe in a sock: sock -> ソウ, and the money is tucked away out of sight.