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賄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
賄huìto bribe; riches, wealthx, 13 strokes, radical 貝
huì(hui4) T4
  1. 1to bribe; riches, wealth
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March 24, 2026

賄huì(hui4)

The character 賄 (huì) primarily means 'to bribe' or 'to offer a bribe.' It is commonly used in contexts related to corruption or unethical financial transactions. Additionally, it can refer to wealth or riches, emphasizing a connection between money and moral implications.

Strokes13Radical貝
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, bribery is often linked to the historical practice of 'guanxi' (relationships) where personal connections can influence business dealings, highlighting the moral dilemmas associated with wealth and power.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person stacked with wealth ('riches') trying to slip a brown envelope (symbolizing a bribe) into someone else's hands. The character 賄 has the radical for 'money' (貝) which links to its meaning of wealth, while the pronunciation 'huì' sounds like 'way' – the way to get what you want is through bribery.

Meanings of 賄

huì(hui4)
1to bribe; riches, wealth
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 賄

賄Simplified
13Strokes
貝Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 賄

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Podcast: 賄

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AI Study Notes for 賄

Quick Contrast

贿 (huì) — use 贿 when specifically referring to the act of bribery in a legal or formal context, whereas 賄 can imply a broader range of unethical financial transactions.

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using this term, as it carries a negative connotation and is typically used in serious discussions about corruption. It is mainly used in formal contexts, such as legal or political discussions. Common collocations include '賄賂' (huìlù), meaning 'bribe,' which is the noun form.

HSK Study Tips

While not part of the official HSK levels, understanding 賄 can enhance comprehension of discussions surrounding ethics in business or politics. Students should focus on its usage with related terms like '賄賂' and be aware of its implications in conversation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 賄 with similar characters related to wealth, such as 財 (cái, wealth). For example, saying '我想賄他' (I want to wealth him) instead of '我想賄賂他' (I want to bribe him) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 賄

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Etymology of 賄

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

To possess 有 wealth 貝

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 賄

  1. 1The giveawayTo possess 有 wealth 貝
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 賄? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

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Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 賄?

Decomposition of 賄

IDS Structure⿰貝有
賄Full Character
=
貝bei4
left
有you3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 賄?

How to say to bribe; riches, wealth in Chinese

“to bribe; riches, wealth” in Chinese is賄huì

The character 賄 (huì) primarily means 'to bribe' or 'to offer a bribe.' It is commonly used in contexts related to corruption or unethical financial transactions. Additionally, it can refer to wealth or riches, emphasizing a connection between money and moral implications.

When to use 賄

Be cautious when using this term, as it carries a negative connotation and is typically used in serious discussions about corruption. It is mainly used in formal contexts, such as legal or political discussions. Common collocations include '賄賂' (huìlù), meaning 'bribe,' which is the noun form.

賄 or something close to it

贿 (huì) — use 贿 when specifically referring to the act of bribery in a legal or formal context, whereas 賄 can imply a broader range of unethical financial transactions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 賄 with similar characters related to wealth, such as 財 (cái, wealth). For example, saying '我想賄他' (I want to wealth him) instead of '我想賄賂他' (I want to bribe him) is incorrect.

Write 賄

賄

Practice writing 賄 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 賄

Words Containing This Character8
贿赂huìlùto bribe賄賂
受贿shòuhuìto accept a bribe受賄
行贿to bribe行賄
贿huìbribe賄
索贿to exact bribes索賄
贿选to buy votes (in an election)賄選
贿买to bribe賄買
纳贿bribery納賄
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 贿赂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 賄

賄 (huì) refers to the act of bribing, while 賄賂 (huìlù) is the noun form meaning 'bribe.'

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