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詫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
詫chàsurprised, shockedx, 13 strokes, radical 言
chà(cha4) T4
  1. 1surprised, shocked
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

詫chà(cha4)

The character 詫 (chà) primarily denotes a sense of surprise or shock. It is often used in contexts where someone is taken aback by unexpected news or events. This character may also convey a feeling of astonishment in both written and spoken Chinese.

Strokes13Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise can be more subdued than in some Western cultures, where exclamations may be more pronounced. The use of 詫 can reflect a cultural tendency to maintain composure while still acknowledging unexpected situations.

Memory Tip

Visualize a shocked person with their mouth open, saying 'chà!' upon receiving surprising news. The character 詫 is composed of the speech radical 言 (yán) which relates to communication and expression, alongside the component 查 (chá), suggesting a deeper examination of the unexpected situation.

Meanings of 詫

chà(cha4)
1surprised, shocked
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 詫

詫Simplified
13Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 詫

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Podcast: 詫

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AI Study Notes for 詫

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 詫 (chà) with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, such as 差 (chà), which means 'difference' or 'discrepancy.' The tone is crucial; ensure you use the fourth tone (chà) when expressing surprise. This word is more commonly used in written Chinese than in casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 詫 is not part of the official HSK list, it connects with other characters expressing emotions or states. At lower levels, focus on related vocabulary about feelings and reactions. It can be useful to practice in phrases that express astonishment.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 詫 (chà) with 差 (chà), leading to incorrect usage in contexts relating to emotional response versus difference. For example, saying '这件事情让我差' is incorrect; it should be '这件事情让我詫.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 詫

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Etymology of 詫

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 宅 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詫.

Memory Hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)言
+
Phonetic (sound)宅
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 詫

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 宅 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詫.

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half宅 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 詫? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 詫?

Decomposition of 詫

IDS Structure⿰言宅
詫Full Character
=
言yan2
left
宅zhai2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 詫?

How to say surprised, shocked in Chinese

“surprised, shocked” in Chinese is詫chà

The character 詫 (chà) primarily denotes a sense of surprise or shock. It is often used in contexts where someone is taken aback by unexpected news or events. This character may also convey a feeling of astonishment in both written and spoken Chinese.

When to use 詫

Be careful not to confuse 詫 (chà) with similar-sounding words that have different meanings, such as 差 (chà), which means 'difference' or 'discrepancy.' The tone is crucial; ensure you use the fourth tone (chà) when expressing surprise. This word is more commonly used in written Chinese than in casual conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 詫 (chà) with 差 (chà), leading to incorrect usage in contexts relating to emotional response versus difference. For example, saying '这件事情让我差' is incorrect; it should be '这件事情让我詫.'

Write 詫

詫

Practice writing 詫 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 詫

Words Containing This Character3
诧异chàyìflabbergasted詫異
惊诧jīngchàto be surprised驚詫
诧chàto be surprised詫
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 诧异 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 詫

You could say: '我对他的决定感到詫' (I was surprised by his decision).

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