罪
zuì · HSK 6
crime
🚔 罒 net + 非 wrong = crime caught in the net
The top radical 罒 is a net (from 网) and 非 means wrong or not right. A net thrown over wrongdoing gives you crime. Zuì also means guilt or sin.
罪 — net 罒 (top) + wrong 非 (bottom)
罪 combines 罒 (net) over 非 (wrong), suggesting catching wrongdoing in a net. Originally the character 辠 (with 自 nose + 辛 punishment) meant 'crime,' but Emperor Qin Shi Huang found 辠 too similar to 皇 (emperor) and replaced it with 罪. Today it means crime, guilt, or sin.