赐

賜

cì

易 + 贝

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

cì (verb) to bestow; to grant; to confer

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 易 represents the sound. Simplified form of 賜.

Semantic: 贝 Phonetic: 易

About

赐 is a phonosemantic compound: the radical 贝 (bèi, "cowrie shell") signals wealth and valuables, while 易 (yì) indicates the pronunciation. Its traditional form, 賜, uses the unsimplified shell radical 貝. The character refers to a superior bestowing a gift or reward upon an inferior, as when an emperor rewards a subject. The shell component reflects the historical use of cowries as currency, so such acts of patronage typically involved material wealth, embodying hierarchical generosity.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

上帝赐福我们。

Shàngdì cì fú wǒmen.

God blesses us.

皇帝赐予他官职。

Huángdì cìyǔ tā guānzhí.

The emperor bestowed him with an official position.

老师赐给学生礼物。

Lǎoshī cì gěi xuéshēng lǐwù.

The teacher gave the students gifts.

父母赐我生命和爱。

Fùmǔ cì wǒ shēngmìng hé ài.

Parents gave me life and love.

公司赐予员工额外奖金。

Gōngsī cìyǔ yuángōng éwài jiǎngjīn.

The company granted employees extra bonuses.

国家赐予他最高荣誉勋章。

Guójiā cìyǔ tā zuì gāo róngyù xūnzhāng.

The country awarded him the highest honor medal.

在庆典上，首领赐福给所有参与者。

Zài qìngdiǎn shàng, shǒulǐng cì fú gěi suǒyǒu cānyùzhě.

During the ceremony, the leader blessed all participants.

鉴于他的杰出贡献，政府决定赐予他终身免税的特权。

Jiànyú tā de jiéchū gòngxiàn, zhèngfǔ juédìng cìyǔ tā zhōngshēn miǎnshuì de tèquán.

In view of his outstanding contributions, the government decided to grant him the privilege of lifetime tax exemption.

Related Characters

Component: 易

Component: 贝

Example Words