诅 meaning and stroke order
To curse; to pledge, to swear
How to write 诅, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 诅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- curse
- swear (oath)
How 诅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 且 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 诅
诅 combines the speech radical 讠 with 且 (qiě), which gives the sound. Picture words 讠 being piled up like a stack 且 to bring bad luck on someone.
诅 almost never appears alone in modern Chinese. You will mostly see it in the word 诅咒 (zǔzhòu), meaning to curse, used both literally and for strong complaints. Example: 他诅咒这场大雨。(Tā zǔzhòu zhè chǎng dà yǔ.) He cursed the heavy rain.
Common mistake: Learners often read 诅 as qiě or jū because of the phonetic 且, but it is zǔ, like 组 (zǔ) and 祖 (zǔ). Also do not confuse it with 阻 (zǔ, to block), which has the 阝 radical instead of 讠.
Common words with 诅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 诅咒 | zǔzhòu | to curse |
诅 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 诅
How many strokes are in 诅?
诅 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 诅 mean?
诅 (zǔ) means to curse; to pledge, to swear. A common word with it is 诅咒 (zǔzhòu), meaning "to curse".
How do you pronounce 诅?
诅 is pronounced zǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 诅?
The radical of 诅 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 诅 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 诅?
The traditional form of 诅 is 詛. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 诅 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 诅咒 the same as swearing with bad words?
Not exactly. 诅咒 means wishing harm on someone or something, like casting a curse. For using rude words, Chinese usually says 骂人 (mà rén) or 说脏话 (shuō zānghuà).
Does 诅 still mean to swear an oath?
That sense exists in dictionaries and older texts, but it is rare today. For making a promise or oath, modern speakers use 发誓 (fāshì) instead.