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March 24, 2026
決jué(jue2)
The character 決 (jué) means 'to decide' or 'to determine.' It is commonly used in contexts where a decision needs to be made or a judgment is required, such as in discussions about choices or assessments. The nuance of this character implies a sense of resolution and finality in the decision-making process.
Strokes7Radical氵Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the act of making decisions often involves consulting others and considering the group's consensus, reflecting the value placed on harmony and collective agreement. 決 embodies the importance of thoughtful deliberation before arriving at a conclusion.
Memory Tip
Imagine a judge (the radical '水' or 'water' flowing from the top of the character) making a firm decision in a courtroom. The character 決 combines the idea of flowing water, symbolizing clarity and thoroughness, with the determination of the judge, making it easier to remember both the meaning and the pronunciation 'jué.'
Meanings of 決
jué(jue2)
1to decide, to determine, to judge
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 決
決Simplified
7Strokes
氵Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 決
Podcast: 決
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AI Study Notes for 決
Quick Contrast
决 (jué) vs 定 (dìng) — choose 决 for decisions involving resolution, while 定 is for establishing or setting something.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a judge (the radical '水' or 'water' flowing from the top of the character) making a firm decision in a courtroom. The character 決 combines the idea of flowing water, symbolizing clarity and thoroughness, with the determination of the judge, making it easier to remember both the meaning and the pronunciation 'jué.'
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 決 with similar-sounding characters. It is important to use 決 in contexts involving decision-making rather than casual opinions. Common collocations include 決定 (juédìng - to decide) and 決策 (juécè - decision-making), which are more formal.
HSK Study Tips
While 決 is not listed in the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with HSK 4 and 5 words related to decision-making and judgment. Students should focus on using 決 in combination with verbs like 'make' (做) to express actions related to decisions.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the act of making decisions often involves consulting others and considering the group's consensus, reflecting the value placed on harmony and collective agreement. 決 embodies the importance of thoughtful deliberation before arriving at a conclusion.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 決 when they mean 'to think' (想). For example, saying '我決想这个' (Wǒ jué xiǎng zhège) is incorrect; it should be '我想这个' (Wǒ xiǎng zhège - I think this).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 決
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六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Simplified form of 決. Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 夬 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "burst open". The meaning later shifted to "clear", "cut off", "decide" and "judge".
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Cultural Notes for 決
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the act of making decisions often involves consulting others and considering the group's consensus, reflecting the value placed on harmony and collective agreement. 決 embodies the importance of thoughtful deliberation before arriving at a conclusion.
Word Family of 決
Words Containing This Character20
决定juédìngto resolve決定
解决jiějuéto resolve解決
决赛juésàifinals (of a competition)決賽
坚决jiānjuéfirm堅決
判决pànjuéto sentence判決
决策juécèstrategic decision決策
决心juéxīndetermination決心
决不juébùnot at all決不
决juéto decide決
决议juéyìa resolution決議
表决biǎojuéto vote表決
裁决cáijuéruling裁決
半决赛bànjuésàisemifinals半決賽
总决赛finals (sports)總決賽
否决fǒujuéto veto否決
决斗to duel決鬥
处决to execute (a condemned criminal)處決
决战decisive battle決戰
下定决心to make a firm resolution下定決心
决定性decisive決定性
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 决定 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 決
You can use 決 in sentences like '我決定去旅行' (Wǒ juédìng qù lǚxíng - I decide to travel).
Yes, 決 is commonly used in both formal writing and everyday conversation.
Common phrases include 決定 (to decide) and 決策 (decision-making).
