guilt, sin, crime, fault, blame, offense
罪 centers on moral or legal wrongdoing: guilt, sin, crime, fault, blame, or offense. All these meanings share the idea of a transgression that brings culpability.
罪 combines 罒 (a net) and 非 (wrongdoing). The net suggests catching or ensnaring, while 非 indicates the wrong act, together conveying the idea of being caught in a crime or sin.
A net (罒) catches wrongdoing (非), like a criminal trapped by the law. When you see 罪, think of guilt and crime caught in a net.
For ザイ, imagine a criminal sighing 'ZAI!' when caught in the net of guilt: ZAI -> ザイ.
crime; offence; offense
crime; sin; wrongdoing; indiscretion
apology
innocence; being not guilty
guilt; culpability
crime; sin; vice
false charge; false accusation; misrepresentation
criminal; lawbreaker; wrongdoer; offender
serious crime; grave sin
(nature of a) crime; (criminal) charge
sinful; wicked; immoral
felony; serious crime
atonement
judgment (of a crime); conviction; condemnation
acquittal
same crime
capital crime; crime resulting in a death penalty
original sin
crime of perjury
merits and demerits; good points and bad points; strengths and weaknesses