賜

Refers to the act of bestowing a gift or favor from one of higher rank to one of lower rank.

It conveys both material giving (gifts, titles, or goods) and honorific grace — the benevolent act of conferring from above.

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

貝 (조개 패) — semantic component, meaning “shell” or “money,” symbolizing wealth and material goods.

易 (바꿀 역) — phonetic component, providing the sound sa (from an older sjak / zjeɡ tone) and implying the act of “exchange” or “transfer.”

Together they express “the giving or transferring of valuables,” originally signifying a ceremonial gift and later expanding to any bestowal or reward from above.

恩賜 (은사) — royal or divine favor; gracious gift

下賜 (하사) — to bestow downward; to give from superior to inferior

賞賜 (상사) — to reward; bestow honors or riches

賜與 (사여) — to grant; to bestow formally

賜物 (사물) — gifted item; bestowed object

賜宴 (사연) — banquet given as a royal favor

賜死 (사사) — to command someone to take their own life (imperial order)

賜姓 (사성) — to grant a family name (by the ruler)

賜福 (사복) — to bestow blessings

天賜 (천사) — heaven-given; divinely bestowed

In early dynastic China, 賜 was deeply tied to the hierarchical order of ritual and governance.

To “give” (賜) was not a mere transaction but a manifestation of virtue and authority.

Rulers bestowed food, land, or rank upon loyal subjects; deities were said to “grant blessings” (賜福) to the faithful.

「天子賜民以食，示恩也。」

“When the Son of Heaven grants food to the people, it is to show benevolence.”

In contrast, when gifts flowed upward — from the people or subjects to the ruler — the term 貢 (공, to offer) was used, marking the reciprocal but hierarchical nature of ancient society:

賜 — bestowal downward from ruler to subject.

貢 — offering upward from subject to ruler.

In Confucian ethics, 賜 represented benevolent generosity,

a reflection of 德 (virtue) that inspires loyalty and harmony within the realm.

賜 symbolizes grace bestowed through rightful authority.

The 貝 component (currency) signifies material or tangible value,

while 易 represents movement and change — the act of giving from one to another.

It embodies the ideal that true power lies not in possession but in generosity guided by justice and propriety.

「以德賜人，福自隨之。」

“He who bestows through virtue will find blessings follow of themselves.”

Thus, 賜 represents the noble act of sharing abundance,

the ruler’s benevolence mirrored in Heaven’s grace toward humanity.

賜 teaches the virtue of giving with dignity and compassion.

To bestow is not merely to hand down, but to affirm worth, foster gratitude, and strengthen harmony.

「賜者，恩之表也；施者，德之行也。」

“To bestow is the outward sign of grace; to give is the living act of virtue.”

Therefore, 賜 stands as a character of gracious generosity, moral authority, and divine favor — a reminder that in both governance and life, the truest wealth lies not in what we keep, but in what we bestow with wisdom and heart.