嫌疑

• Pinyin: xián yí
• Hanzi breakdown: 嫌 = 女 + 兼 (ambivalence, held in doubt); 疑 = complex character combining 矢 (arrow) + 止 (stop) + 疋 (foot — hesitation at crossroads)

Meaning

Suspicion; grounds for suspicion. Refers to the grounds, circumstances, or appearance of wrongdoing that makes a person a suspect, without yet constituting proof of guilt.

Central to legal and criminal discourse. 有嫌疑 (to be under suspicion), 嫌疑人 (suspect), 洗清嫌疑 (to clear one's name). Also used metaphorically in non-legal contexts to describe the appearance of impropriety or bias (有利益输送的嫌疑 = suspected of improper benefit transfer). The term is formal and carries serious connotations.

Examples

1. 警方目前已锁定数名具有重大嫌疑的人员，正在对其展开深入的背景调查和证据核实工作。 The police have identified several individuals under serious suspicion and are conducting in-depth background checks and verifying evidence.
2. 这位官员为了洗清自己的嫌疑，主动向纪检部门提交了所有相关的财务记录和往来函件。 To clear himself of suspicion, the official voluntarily submitted all relevant financial records and correspondence to the disciplinary authorities.
3. 调查结论指出，该合同的签署过程存在利益输送的嫌疑，将被提交上级部门进一步审查。 The investigation concluded that the contract-signing process showed signs of improper benefit transfers and will be submitted to higher authorities for further review.

Usage Guide

Context: law, politics, investigation, journalism

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 刑事诉讼中，司法机关必须区分嫌疑与定罪，不能把侦查阶段的判断当成审判结论。(In criminal proceedings, judicial authorities must distinguish suspicion from conviction and cannot treat an investigation-stage judgment as a trial verdict.)
• 媒体报道嫌疑人案件时，应避免在判决前使用定罪性语言，以免造成媒体审判和舆论定罪。(When reporting cases involving suspects, the media should avoid convicting language before judgment to prevent media trials and public opinion from acting as a verdict.)

Don't Say

• 嫌疑 loosely to mean merely that someone looks guilty or seems dishonest in everyday conversation — 嫌疑 carries formal legal weight; use 感觉有问题 or 看起来不对 in casual speech for informal suspicions

Origin & History

嫌 (suspicion, dislike — 女 + 兼, ambivalence — being held in doubt) + 疑 (doubt, suspicion — 矢 + 子 + 止 + 疋, complex character suggesting uncertainty and hesitation)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal