得罪

• Pinyin: dé zuì
• Hanzi breakdown: 得 = to obtain; 罪 = 四 + 非 (crime/transgression)

Meaning

To offend; to displease; to get on someone's bad side. Describes inadvertently or deliberately causing offence and making an enemy of someone.

Carries strong social implications in Chinese culture — offending a person of influence can have serious professional consequences. Used both as a warning and as an explanation for social friction.

Examples

1. 他在会议上直言批评领导，无意中得罪了几位高管。 He spoke bluntly to criticize the leadership at the meeting and inadvertently offended several executives.
2. 在职场中，得罪了关键人物往往会影响晋升机会。 In the workplace, offending a key person often affects your chances for promotion.
3. 她不想得罪任何人，所以在争论中始终保持沉默。 She didn’t want to offend anyone, so she stayed silent throughout the argument.

Usage Guide

Context: social, workplace, relationships

Tone: cautionary

Do Say

• 他无意中得罪了部门主管，此后一直被边缘化。(He unintentionally offended the department head and was marginalised ever since.)
• 外交场合措辞不当，很容易得罪对方代表团。(In diplomatic settings, inappropriate wording can easily offend the other delegation.)

Don't Say

• 我得罪了一个错误 — 得罪 takes a person as its object; use 我犯了一个错误 for making a mistake

Origin & History

得 (obtain) + 罪 (sin/offense) — literally 'to earn oneself an offence'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal