赎 shú ransom
ransom; to buy; to redeem
How to remember 赎: 贝 sea shell + 卖 sell = ransom. When his sister kidnaps his stuffed dog, the boy has to sell his best sea shell to pay the ransom.
Component breakdown
赎 = 贝 sea shell + 卖 sell
- 贝 sea shell
- 卖 sell
- 十 ten
- 买 to buy
- 乛 cap
- 头 head
When his sister kidnaps his stuffed dog, the boy has to sell his best sea shell to pay the ransom.
How it is used
- To redeem/ransom/buy back - 赎金 (shújīn) ransom money, 赎身 (shúshēn) to buy one's freedom, 赎回 (shúhuí) to redeem (a pawned item, a bond).
- 赎罪 (shúzuì) means to atone for one's sins / make amends - 将功赎罪 (jiānggōng-shúzuì) to atone through merit. The 'atone' sense is common figuratively.