辜 (gū): guilt; crime

Meanings

我们不能惩罚无辜的人。

Wǒmen bùnéng chéngfá wúgū de rén.

We must not punish the innocent.

不要辜负父母的期望。

Búyào gūfù fùmǔ de qīwàng.

Don't let your parents' expectations down.

usage

Two common words carry 辜: 无辜 (innocent, literally 'without guilt') and 辜负 (to fail to live up to someone's trust or kindness). It is also a surname.

radical

辛 xīn

bitter; a tool of punishment

辛 originally pictured a tool used to brand or punish criminals, so it carries the 'crime / guilt' meaning at the heart of 辜.

phonetic

古 gǔ

old; ancient

古 on top supplies the sound gū and carries no meaning here, acting as the phonetic element.

辜 gū