酬 means “reward, repay”

しゅう · shuu

Also: retribution

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

むくいる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュウ, シュ, トウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

A wine jar (酉) beside 州, a sandbar: picture cups of sake passed back and forth across a river. 酬 is paying back: 報酬 is payment for work, and 応酬, give and take, is a heated exchange of words or punches.

Used in 報酬 (houshuu, reward/fee), 応酬 (oushuu, exchange/retort), and 無報酬 (muhoushuu, unpaid)

More from Pay & Taxes

• 俸 salary
• 租 tax
• 賦 levy
• 捗 progress
• 就 take up
• 償 compensate
• 貢 tribute
• 賃 fee
• 賠 compensation
• 稼 earn

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.