About
The character "辜" is structured with the semantic component "辛", which associates it with crime or punishment, and the phonetic component "古", originally denoting specific offenses or violations in early Chinese usage. Its meaning evolved from concrete crimes, such as those warranting severe penalties, to abstract concepts of guilt and blame, as evidenced in classical texts where it often referred to capital punishment or moral wrongdoing. In modern Chinese, "辜" is primarily encountered in compounds like "无辜", meaning innocent, and "辜负", meaning to fail or betray, reflecting a semantic shift from active transgression to states of being wronged or unmet obligations.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他是无辜的。
不要辜负父母。
我们绝不能辜负信任。
那个无辜的孩子哭了。
辜负别人的好意是不对的。
她感到自己辜负了大家的期望。
在调查中，他被证明是完全无辜的。
如果你继续这样做事，将会辜负所有支持你的人。