How to Write 赦 (shè) — Meaning “To pardon / To forgive”

Imagine a red (赤) stop sign held by a hand (攵) — the hand stops the punishment, meaning a pardon. This visual connects the red color with the action of forgiving.

Write the left side 赤 first: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling, then a small hook at the bottom. Then add 攵 on the right: left-falling, horizontal, left-falling, right-falling. Keep 赤 narrow so the character is balanced.

Both share the 赤 radical, but 赦 has 攵 on the right (4 strokes), while 赧 has 艮 on the right (6 strokes). Their meanings differ: 赦 means "to pardon," whereas 赧 means "to blush" or "to be ashamed."

赦 appears in formal legal terms like 赦免 (shèmiǎn, to pardon) and 大赦 (dàshè, amnesty). It is used in news about governments granting official forgiveness to prisoners, especially during holidays or special events.

Common words containing 赦 include: 赦免 (shè miǎn) — To pardon / To remit; 大赦 (dà shè) — Amnesty; general pardon; 特赦 (tè shè) — Amnesty / Special pardon.