How do you say "guilty" in Chinese?

有罪

yǒu zuì

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "guilty" is 有罪 (yǒu zuì).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

yǒu zuì is voiced with "yǒu" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "zuì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Writing and usage

有罪 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他为忘记而感到内疚。

tā wèi wàng jì ér gǎn dào nèi jiù 。

He felt guilty for forgetting.

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How to remember 有罪

Link the syllable "yoh dzway" to a quick mental flash of guilty, and "yǒu zuì" will stick as guilty.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 有罪

How do you pronounce 有罪?

yǒu zuì is voiced with "yǒu" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "zuì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).

Is 有罪 formal or casual?

有罪 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 有罪 used in Chinese?

有罪 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 他为忘记而感到内疚。 (He felt guilty for forgetting.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Guilty" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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