Definitions
(verb)
to exempt; to excuse; to avoid
(verb)
to remove from office; to dismiss
Etymology
Pictograph of a person wearing a hat or a crown, now written as 冕. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
The character "免" originated from early graphical representations that conveyed the act of removal or escape, with its form crystallizing into the modern configuration that combines components suggesting a person and an overarching action. Etymologically rooted in the sense of avoiding or fleeing, its meaning broadened to encompass derived concepts such as exemption from duty, dismissal from position, and prevention of occurrences. This semantic extension is reflected in its use within compounds like 避免, indicating avoidance, and 免费, denoting freedom from cost, where the inherent notion of release or relief remains central. While its contemporary structure no longer transparently mirrors its original pictographic qualities, the character has maintained a consistent conceptual lineage from physical escape to abstract forms of liberation or exclusion across its historical usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个饮料是免费的。
我们避免了交通事故。
他免除了我的职务。
这家商店免税销售。
产品免检进入市场。
这种情况难以避免。
他因故被免去校长职位。
免于起诉的决定令人惊讶。