免

• Pinyin: miǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 免 = pictograph of a figure escaping or slipping free — to be exempt, to avoid, to be released from

Meaning

To be exempt from; to avoid; to dispense with; to excuse. Used to indicate freedom from obligation, punishment, or an undesirable outcome.

A versatile verb/auxiliary verb. 免 can precede a noun (免税 — tax-exempt), a verb (免去 — to relieve someone of a duty), or appear in constructions like 以免 (so as to avoid) and 免得 (so as not to). Common in official, legal, and formal written Chinese.

Examples

1. 凭此证件可免收门票，但参观者仍须在入口处登记个人信息，以便管理人员统计访客数量。 With this ID, admission is free, but visitors still must register their personal information at the entrance so staff can track visitor numbers.
2. 为免引起不必要的误会，他在合同签署前专门聘请律师对每一项条款进行了细致的逐字审查。 To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, he hired a lawyer to review every clause word by word before signing the contract.
3. 该项目因符合国家高新技术企业认定标准，依法享有三年免缴企业所得税的优惠政策。 Because the project meets the criteria for designation as a national high-tech enterprise, it is entitled by law to a preferential policy of three years’ exemption from corporate income tax.

Usage Guide

Context: law, government, business, official notices, tax

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据最新颁布的财税政策，小微企业在创业初期的前两年可免缴增值税，以帮助其渡过资金最为紧张的阶段。(According to the latest tax and fiscal policies, small and micro enterprises may be exempt from value-added tax during the first two years of the start-up phase, helping them through the period of tightest cash flow.)
• 为免日后产生争议，双方在协议中对各自的权利义务作出了详尽而明确的界定，并经双方法律顾问共同确认。(To avoid future disputes, both parties made exhaustive and explicit definitions of their respective rights and obligations in the agreement, jointly confirmed by the legal advisors of both sides.)

Don't Say

• 将'免'与'避免'在所有语境中互换 — '免'更简洁，常用于正式法规、通知及固定搭配；'避免'则更口语，用于描述主动回避某事的行为，须区分语境 (Do not use 免 and 避免 interchangeably in all contexts — 免 is more concise and is standard in formal regulations, notices, and set phrases; 避免 is more colloquial and describes actively steering clear of something)

Origin & History

免 = a pictograph originally depicting a rabbit (兔) with its ears, later evolved to represent 'escape' or 'free from'. The character suggests slipping away or being released from something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal