賄賂

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 賄賂 is read わいろ and means a bribe: money or valuables offered to obtain improper favors.
• Basic usage: In 役人は業者から賄賂を受け取った疑いで逮捕された。, an official is arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe from a contractor.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distinct from a gift
  • 賄賂 is not simply a gift of goodwill but something offered to improperly influence another person's actions or judgment. That purpose gives the word its negative meaning.