How to Write 罪 (zuì) — Meaning “Crime; sin; guilt”

Imagine a net (罒) falling down to catch someone doing something wrong (非). This visual of a net trapping bad behavior helps you remember that 罪 means crime or guilt.

Write the top radical 罒 first, making it wide enough to cover the 非 below. A common mistake is making the 罒 too narrow or the 非 too wide, so keep the proportions balanced. Remember the total is 13 strokes.

罨 has the radical 罒 with 大 (big) below, meaning to cover or a fishing net. 罩 has 罒 with 卓 (tall) below, meaning cover or shade. Only 罪 uses 非 (wrongness) below, giving it the specific meaning of crime or sin.

罪 appears in legal terms like 犯罪 (to commit a crime) and 罪名 (a charge or accusation). It is also used in 受罪 (to suffer hardship). Culturally, 罪 carries a strong moral sense of guilt and punishment, often tied to traditional ideas of justice.

Common words containing 罪 include: 犯罪 (fàn zuì) — to commit a crime; 罪名 (zuì míng) — Charge; accusation; name of a crime; 受罪 (shòu zuì) — to suffer or endure hardship.