====== zhāogòng: 招供 - To Confess (a crime), To Make a Confession ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** zhaogong, 招供, confess Chinese, make a confession in Chinese, confess to police Chinese, Chinese word for confess, admit guilt Chinese, zhao gong meaning, Chinese legal terms, criminal confession
  * **Summary:** Learn the Chinese word **招供 (zhāogòng)**, a powerful verb meaning "to confess" a crime. Unlike the English word "confess," which can be used casually, **招供** is used almost exclusively in serious legal and criminal contexts, such as a suspect confessing to the police during an interrogation. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and provides practical examples for learners.
===== Core Meaning =====
<hanziwriter>招供</hanziwriter>
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** zhāogòng
  * **Part of Speech:** Verb
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 6
  * **Concise Definition:** To confess one's crimes or wrongdoing, typically under official interrogation.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **招供 (zhāogòng)** is a heavy, formal term you'd see in a police drama, not in a casual conversation. It specifically refers to a criminal suspect admitting their guilt and providing details of their crimes to an authority figure (like the police or a court). Think of it as the formal act of "spilling the beans" about a crime you've committed.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **招 (zhāo):** This character's original meaning is "to beckon" or "to summon," often with a hand (as seen in the radical 扌). In this context, it takes on the meaning of "to admit" or "to reveal."
  * **供 (gòng):** This character means "to provide," "to supply," or "to make an offering." It's often used in the context of providing testimony or information.
  * **Combined Meaning:** The characters together create a vivid image: "to beckon out and supply" the details of a crime. It implies a formal offering of testimony, usually under pressure, to the authorities.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **The Weight of Confession:** In the Chinese legal and social context, a confession is often seen as a pivotal moment in the justice process. It's not just an admission of fact but a step towards accepting punishment and potentially rejoining the social order. This is encapsulated in the well-known slogan: **坦白从宽, 抗拒从严 (tǎnbái cóngkuān, kàngjù cóngyán)**, which means "Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist." This phrase is often posted in police stations and reflects a cultural and legal incentive to confess.
  * **Comparison to "Confess":** An English speaker might say, "I confess, I ate the last slice of cake." Using **招供** in this situation would be completely inappropriate and sound absurdly dramatic. **招供** is reserved for serious wrongdoing and crimes. For casual admissions, a word like [[承认]] (chéngrèn - to admit) is far more suitable. This distinction highlights the seriousness and specific legal domain of **招供**.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **Strictly Formal and Legal:** You will encounter **招供** almost exclusively in formal contexts.
    * **News Media:** In crime reporting, news articles about trials, arrests, and police investigations.
    * **Film and Television:** It is a staple of Chinese police procedurals, historical dramas, and spy thrillers. The interrogation scene where the hero tries to make the villain **招供** is a classic trope.
    * **Legal Documents:** Used in official court records, police reports, and legal correspondence.
  * **Connotation:** The connotation is serious and negative. The person who needs to **招供** is a criminal suspect. The act itself is a turning point, marking the admission of guilt and the acceptance of legal consequences.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 经过几个小时的审问，嫌疑人终于**招供**了。
    * Pinyin: Jīngguò jǐ ge xiǎoshí de shěnwèn, xiányírén zhōngyú **zhāogòng** le.
    * English: After several hours of interrogation, the suspect finally confessed.
    * Analysis: This is a classic, straightforward use of the term in a police context.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 他**招供**了所有罪行，包括抢劫和盗窃。
    * Pinyin: Tā **zhāogòng** le suǒyǒu zuìxíng, bāokuò qiǎngjié hé dàoqiè.
    * English: He confessed to all his crimes, including robbery and theft.
    * Analysis: This shows how **招供** is used with the object of the confession (the crimes).
  * **Example 3:**
    * 在确凿的证据面前，他不得不**招供**。
    * Pinyin: Zài quèzuò de zhèngjù miànqián, tā bùdébù **zhāogòng**.
    * English: In the face of conclusive evidence, he had no choice but to confess.
    * Analysis: This example highlights that a confession is often a result of external pressure, in this case, irrefutable evidence.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 警方正在努力让他**招供**出同伙的下落。
    * Pinyin: Jǐngfāng zhèngzài nǔlì ràng tā **zhāogòng** chū tónghuǒ de xiàluò.
    * English: The police are working hard to make him confess the whereabouts of his accomplices.
    * Analysis: Here, **招供** is followed by a resultative complement `出 (chū)`, meaning "to confess out" or reveal information.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 无论怎么拷打，那个间谍都拒绝**招供**。
    * Pinyin: Wúlùn zěnme kǎodǎ, nàge jiàndié dōu jùjué **zhāogòng**.
    * English: No matter how he was tortured, that spy refused to confess.
    * Analysis: A common trope in spy movies and historical dramas, showing refusal to confess as an act of loyalty or strength.
  * **Example 6:**
    * 他很快就**招供**了，把一切都告诉了警察。
    * Pinyin: Tā hěn kuài jiù **zhāogòng** le, bǎ yīqiè dōu gàosù le jǐngchá.
    * English: He confessed quickly, telling the police everything.
    * Analysis: This shows a simple, direct narrative of a confession.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 他的**招供**是破案的关键。
    * Pinyin: Tā de **zhāogòng** shì pò'àn de guānjiàn.
    * English: His confession was the key to solving the case.
    * Analysis: Here, the verb is used as a noun through the use of `的 (de)`, turning "to confess" into "confession."
  * **Example 8:**
    * 警察问他：“你到底招不**招供**？”
    * Pinyin: Jǐngchá wèn tā: "Nǐ dàodǐ zhāo bu **zhāogòng**?"
    * English: The police officer asked him: "Are you going to confess or not?"
    * Analysis: This uses the common A-not-A (verb-bu-verb) question structure, creating a sense of pressure and immediacy.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 罪犯**招供**说，他把赃款藏在了床底下。
    * Pinyin: Zuìfàn **zhāogòng** shuō, tā bǎ zāngkuǎn cáng zài le chuáng dǐxia.
    * English: The criminal confessed that he had hidden the stolen money under the bed.
    * Analysis: Shows how **招供** can be followed by `说 (shuō)` to introduce the content of the confession.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 如果你现在**招供**，法院可能会从轻处罚。
    * Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xiànzài **zhāogòng**, fǎyuàn kěnéng huì cóngqīng chǔfá.
    * English: If you confess now, the court may give you a lighter sentence.
    * Analysis: This sentence directly reflects the cultural concept of "leniency for those who confess."
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Biggest Mistake: Using it Casually.**
    * The most common error for English speakers is to treat **招供** like the English "confess." Never use it for minor, non-criminal admissions.
    * **Incorrect:** 我**招供**，是我忘了关灯。(Wǒ **zhāogòng**, shì wǒ wàngle guān dēng.) - "I confess, it was me who forgot to turn off the lights."
    * **Why it's wrong:** This sounds comically dramatic, as if forgetting to turn off the lights were a serious crime worthy of a police interrogation.
    * **Correct:** 我**承认**，是我忘了关灯。(Wǒ **chéngrèn**, shì wǒ wàngle guān dēng.) - "I admit, it was me who forgot to turn off the lights."
  * **False Friend: Confess vs. 招供 (zhāogòng)**
    * **"Confess"** in English has a wide range of uses, from admitting a crime to a priest, to admitting a silly mistake, to admitting a secret love.
    * **招供 (zhāogòng)** has only one use: a criminal suspect admitting guilt and details of their crime to the authorities. For all other situations, use a different word.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[承认]] (chéngrèn) - To admit, to acknowledge. A neutral, general-purpose verb for admitting facts or mistakes. This is the word to use for most everyday "confessions."
  * [[坦白]] (tǎnbái) - To be frank, to confess honestly. Broader than **招供** and can be used for non-criminal matters, like admitting a personal fault to a friend. It implies a voluntary and honest disclosure.
  * [[自首]] (zìshǒu) - To turn oneself in to the police. This is the physical act of surrendering to authorities before being caught.
  * [[供词]] (gòngcí) - A (written or oral) confession; testimony (noun). This is the product of a **招供**.
  * [[审问]] (shěnwèn) - To interrogate. The formal process of questioning a suspect, which is intended to elicit a **招供**.
  * [[逼供]] (bīgòng) - To extort a confession; to coerce a confession (e.g., through torture or threats). A negative term for the illegal methods used to force a confession.
  * [[嫌疑人]] (xiányírén) - A criminal suspect. The person who is typically asked to **招供**.
  * [[罪行]] (zuìxíng) - A crime; a criminal act. The subject matter that is confessed.