咒 meaning and stroke order
To curse; to damn; incantation
How to write 咒, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 咒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- incantation
- magic spell
- curse
- malediction
- to revile
- to put a curse on sb
How 咒 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 咒
Picture two mouths 口口 sitting on top of a small table 几 (jī), both chanting at once. Two mouths repeating words over and over is how a spell or curse is cast.
咒 (zhòu) usually appears in compounds rather than alone. 诅咒 (zǔzhòu) and 咒骂 (zhòumà) mean to curse someone, while 咒语 (zhòuyǔ) and 魔咒 (mózhòu) refer to magic spells, common in fantasy stories and games. Example: 他念了一句咒语。(Tā niàn le yí jù zhòuyǔ.) He recited a spell.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 儿 (ér) instead of 几 (jǐ). The bottom of 咒 has a hooked top stroke like 几, not two separate legs. Also keep the fourth tone zhòu, and do not confuse it with 骂 (mà), which has 马 under the two mouths.
Common words with 咒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
咒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 咒
How many strokes are in 咒?
咒 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 咒 mean?
咒 (zhòu) means to curse; to damn; incantation. A common word with it is 诅咒 (zǔzhòu), meaning "to curse".
How do you pronounce 咒?
咒 is pronounced zhòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 咒?
The radical of 咒 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 咒 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 咒?
The traditional form of 咒 is 呪. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 咒 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 诅咒 and 咒骂?
诅咒 (zǔzhòu) means to wish harm on someone, like putting a curse on them. 咒骂 (zhòumà) means to swear at or verbally abuse someone with angry words.
Can 咒 be used by itself as a verb?
Yes, in casual speech. For example, 别咒我 (bié zhòu wǒ) means "don't jinx me" or "don't wish bad luck on me", often said when someone predicts something bad will happen to you.