诫 meaning and stroke order
To warn, to admonish; warning
How to write 诫, stroke by stroke
9 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 诫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- commandment
- to prohibit
How 诫 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Words 讠 of warning 戒; 戒 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 诫
诫 combines 讠 (speech) with 戒 (jiè, to guard against). Words that tell you to guard against something are a warning, and 戒 also gives the sound jiè.
诫 is a formal, written-style character that rarely stands alone. It appears mostly in compounds like 告诫 (gàojiè, to warn) and 劝诫 (quànjiè, to admonish). Example: 医生告诫他少喝酒。(Yīshēng gàojiè tā shǎo hē jiǔ.) The doctor warned him to drink less.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 诫 and 戒, which share the same sound jiè. 戒 means to give up or abstain, as in 戒烟 (jièyān, to quit smoking), while 诫 with the speech radical is about verbal warning, as in 告诫.
Common words with 诫
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 告诫 | gàojiè | to warn; to admonish | HSK 7-9 |
诫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 诫
How many strokes are in 诫?
诫 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 诫 mean?
诫 (jiè) means to warn, to admonish; warning. A common word with it is 告诫 (gàojiè), meaning "to warn; to admonish".
How do you pronounce 诫?
诫 is pronounced jiè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 诫?
The radical of 诫 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 诫 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 诫?
The traditional form of 诫 is 誡. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 诫 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 诫 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 诫 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 告诫 and 警告?
Both mean to warn. 告诫 (gàojiè) is earnest advice, often from an elder or authority, telling someone what to avoid. 警告 (jǐnggào) is a sharper warning, often with an implied threat or penalty.
How do you say the Ten Commandments in Chinese?
The Ten Commandments are called 十诫 (shí jiè). This uses the dictionary sense of 诫 as a commandment or prohibition.