Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
讖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
讖chènprophecy; hint, omenx, 24 strokes, radical 言
chèn(chen4) T4
  1. 1prophecy; hint, omen
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

讖chèn(chen4)

The character 讖 (chèn) refers to a prophecy or omen, often associated with foretelling events or significant occurrences in the future. It is commonly used in contexts involving divination, historical texts, or discussions about fate and destiny.

Strokes24Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, prophecies or omens often play a significant role in historical narratives and spiritual beliefs, influencing decisions and events throughout history, especially in dynastic contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise sage writing down a prophecy on a scroll (the character's form suggests writing with its radical 讠). The scroll reveals an important hint about the future, and the sage says, 'This is a profound chèn (pronounced like 'chen')!'

Meanings of 讖

chèn(chen4)
1prophecy; hint, omen
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 讖

讖Simplified
24Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 讖

JasonAmy

Podcast: 讖

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 讖

Usage Notes

While 讖 is a formal term, it may not be frequently used in everyday conversation. Be cautious about its tone, as it can sound overly serious in casual contexts. Common collocations include 讖语 (prophecy) and 讖辞 (prophetic words).

HSK Study Tips

Although 讖 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other words about fate and prediction, such as 预测 (yùcè, to predict) and 预言 (yùyán, prophecy). Focus on understanding its context in literature and historical documents.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 讖 with similar terms like 预言 (yùyán), which is more commonly used in modern contexts. For example, saying '我有一个讖' (I have a prophecy) sounds overly formal; using '我有一个预言' would be more appropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 讖

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 讖 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 讖

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

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 讖

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half韱 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 讖? 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 讖?

Decomposition of 讖

IDS Structure⿰言韱
讖Full Character
=
言yan2
left
韱xian1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 讖?

How to say prophecy; hint, omen in Chinese

“prophecy; hint, omen” in Chinese is讖chèn

The character 讖 (chèn) refers to a prophecy or omen, often associated with foretelling events or significant occurrences in the future. It is commonly used in contexts involving divination, historical texts, or discussions about fate and destiny.

When to use 讖

While 讖 is a formal term, it may not be frequently used in everyday conversation. Be cautious about its tone, as it can sound overly serious in casual contexts. Common collocations include 讖语 (prophecy) and 讖辞 (prophetic words).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 讖 with similar terms like 预言 (yùyán), which is more commonly used in modern contexts. For example, saying '我有一个讖' (I have a prophecy) sounds overly formal; using '我有一个预言' would be more appropriate.

Write 讖

讖

Practice writing 讖 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 讖

Words Containing This Character3
谶chènomen讖
谶纬divination combined with mystical Confucian philosopy, prevalent during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220)讖緯
谶语prophecy讖語
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 谶 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 讖

You might say: '这段历史有很多讖，指向未来的变化。' (This period of history has many prophecies pointing to future changes.)

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 讖?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.