Chinese word

赎

Pronunciation

Pinyinshú

Meaning

  • verbbuy back

Example

他把戒指当了，明天去赎回。tā bǎ jiè zhǐ dāng le míng tiān qù shú huí

He pawned the ring and will buy it back tomorrow.

Illustration for 赎 (buy back)

More examples

他用积蓄把抵押的房子赎回。tā yòng jī xù bǎ dǐ yā de fáng zi shú huí

He used his savings to buy back the mortgaged house.

Core concept

A payment brings a held object back into its owner's hands, or balances a moral debt by bearing a cost.

Common phrases

  • 赎回shú huí

    buy back

  • 赎罪shú zuì

    atone

Similar words

赎回shú huí: Pay to get back an item placed in pawn or used as security.
偿还cháng huán: Settle a debt by returning the money borrowed.
买回mǎi huí: Pay to obtain again something that was sold.
补偿bǔ cháng: Compensate someone financially for damage or loss.

Definition in Chinese

把抵押、典当或被占有的东西用钱买回；也指以代价补偿或弥补过失、偿还罪责（如赎回、赎罪）。bǎ dǐ yā diǎn dàng huò bèi zhàn yǒu de dōng xī yòng qián mǎi huí yě zhǐ yǐ dài jià bǔ cháng huò mí bǔ guò shī cháng huán zuì zé rú shú huí shú zuì

Word origin

The character 赎 (shú, "buy back") includes 贝 (bèi, "shell; money symbol"), reflecting its early link with paying to recover property and its later extension to making amends for wrongdoing.

Usage tips

  • English "redeem" often covers using coupons or points, while this Chinese verb is mainly tied to recovering something held or answering for a fault.

Other meanings

  • atoneverb
  • redeemverb

Related words

  • 赎回shú huíbuy backverb
  • 赎罪shú zuìatoneverb
  • 赎金shú jīnransomnoun

Word lists with this word