贖 meaning and stroke order
Ransom; to buy; to redeem
How to write 贖, stroke by stroke
22 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 贖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to redeem
- to ransom
How 贖 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To sell 賣 a soul for money 貝; 賣 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 贖
贖 combines 貝 (shell, an old symbol of money) with 賣 (to sell). Picture paying money 貝 to undo a sale 賣 and get a person or thing back, which is what it means to ransom or redeem.
贖 (simplified 赎) appears mostly in compound words, such as 赎金 (shújīn) ransom, 赎回 (shúhuí) to redeem, and 赎罪 (shúzuì) to atone. It covers both buying back property or people and the moral or religious idea of redemption, as in 救赎 (jiùshú). Example: 绑匪要求一百万赎金。(Bǎngfěi yāoqiú yìbǎi wàn shújīn.) The kidnappers demanded a ransom of one million.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 贖 with 續 (xù, to continue) and 讀 (dú, to read), because all three have 賣 on the right. Check the left side: 貝 for money in 贖, 糸 for thread in 續, and 言 for speech in 讀.
Common words with 贖
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 贖
How many strokes are in 贖?
贖 is written with 22 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贖 mean?
贖 (shú) means ransom; to buy; to redeem. A common word with it is 救赎 (jiùshú), meaning "to redeem; redemption; salvation".
How do you pronounce 贖?
贖 is pronounced shú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 贖?
The radical of 贖 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 贖 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 贖?
贖 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 赎, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 赎 pronounced shú or shù?
It is shú, with the second (rising) tone. Do not mix it up with 赎's look-alike sound 熟 (shú) in tone, which is the same, or 数 (shù), which uses the fourth tone.
Can 赎 be used in finance?
Yes. 赎回 (shúhuí) is the standard term for redeeming fund shares, bonds, or pawned items, for example 赎回基金 (shúhuí jījīn) to redeem fund shares.