诱 meaning and stroke order
To tempt, to persuade, to entice; guide
How to write 诱, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 诱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) to induce; to entice
How 诱 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To use elegant 秀 words 讠; 秀 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 诱
诱 combines speech 讠 with 秀 (xiù), meaning elegant or beautiful. Using beautiful, polished words 讠秀 to win someone over is how you tempt or entice them, and 秀 also hints at the sound.
诱 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 诱惑 (yòuhuò, to tempt), 诱人 (yòurén, alluring) and 诱导 (yòudǎo, to guide or induce). Example: 这个蛋糕看起来很诱人。(Zhège dàngāo kàn qǐlái hěn yòurén.) This cake looks really tempting.
Common mistake: Learners often read 诱 as xiù because of its component 秀, but the correct reading is yòu with a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 绣 (xiù, to embroider), which has the silk radical 纟 instead of speech 讠.
Common words with 诱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 诱惑 | yòuhuò | to entice; to lure | HSK 7-9 |
| 诱饵 | yòu'ěr | bait | HSK 7-9 |
| 引诱 | yǐnyòu | to coerce (sb into doing sth bad); to lure (into a trap) | HSK 7-9 |
| 诱人 | yòurén | attractive; alluring; captivating | HSK 7-9 |
| 诱发 | yòufā | to induce; to cause | HSK 7-9 |
| 诱拐 | yòuguǎi | to abduct; to kidnap | |
| 诱导 | yòudǎo | to induce; to encourage; to provide guidance; (medicine, chemistry) to induce |
诱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 诱
How many strokes are in 诱?
诱 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 诱 mean?
诱 (yòu) means to tempt, to persuade, to entice; guide. A common word with it is 诱惑 (yòuhuò), meaning "to entice; to lure".
How do you pronounce 诱?
诱 is pronounced yòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 诱?
The radical of 诱 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 诱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 诱?
The traditional form of 诱 is 誘. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 诱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 诱 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 诱 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 诱 always negative?
Not always. 引诱 (yǐnyòu) and 诱拐 (yòuguǎi) suggest luring someone into something bad, but 诱人 (yòurén) can simply mean attractive, and 诱导 (yòudǎo) can mean positive guidance, as in a teacher guiding students.
What is the difference between 诱惑 and 吸引?
诱惑 (yòuhuò) means to tempt, often toward something you should resist, like money or junk food. 吸引 (xīyǐn) is a neutral word for attracting interest or attention.