冤

寃

yuān

兔 + 冖

HSK 3.0Level 7

Frequency#2396

Definitions

yuān (noun) injustice; grievance; wrong

Etymology

About

The character 冤 is structurally composed of the radical 冖, indicating a cover, and the component 兔, meaning rabbit, forming a pictographic idea of a rabbit ensnared under a cover to convey a sense of confinement and wrongness. Etymologically, this construction reflects an original concept of being wronged or oppressed. Its meaning shifted from a literal implication of entrapment to abstract notions of injustice, grievance, and false accusation, becoming established in legal and moral contexts to denote wrongful treatment.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

你别冤枉我。

Nǐ bié yuānwǎng wǒ.

Don't wrong me.

他感到非常冤屈。

Tā gǎndào fēichāng yuānqū.

He feels very wronged.

这是一个冤案。

Zhè shì yī gè yuān'àn.

This is a wrongful case.

他被冤枉偷了钱。

Tā bèi yuānwǎng tōu le qián.

He was wrongfully accused of stealing money.

这个判决有点冤。

Zhège pànjué yǒudiǎn yuān.

This judgment is a bit unjust.

她为自己申冤。

Tā wèi zìjǐ shēnyuān.

She pleads for justice for herself.

历史上有许多冤死的人。

Lìshǐ shàng yǒu xǔduō yuānsǐ de rén.

In history, there are many people who were wrongfully killed.

即使证据不足，他也不想冤屈任何人。

Jíshǐ zhèngjù bùzú, tā yě bù xiǎng yuānqū rènhé rén.

Even though the evidence is insufficient, he doesn't want to wrong anyone.

Related Characters

Component: 兔

Component: 冖

冤