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诔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
诔lěito praise, to eulogizezg, 8 strokes, radical 讠
诔lěito eulogize the deadunknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠
诔lěieulogyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠
lěi(lei3) T3
  1. 1to praise, to eulogize
  2. 2to eulogize the dead
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March 24, 2026

诔(誄)lěi(lei3)

The character 诔 (lěi) refers to the act of praising or eulogizing someone, particularly in the context of honoring the deceased. It is often used in formal settings, such as funerals or memorials, to pay respects and celebrate the life of the departed.

Strokes8Radical讠
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, eulogies play an important role in funerary customs, reflecting the respect and honor given to the deceased. The practice of delivering a eulogy is often seen as a final act of love and remembrance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a speaker at a funeral, holding a scroll (the radical 讠indicates speech) and delivering a heartfelt tribute to the deceased. The sound 'lěi' can be remembered as a 'lay' of words that honors someone who has passed away.

Meanings of 诔

lěi(lei3)
1to praise, to eulogize
2to eulogize the dead
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 诔

诔Simplified
誄Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 诔

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Podcast: 诔

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AI Study Notes for 诔

Usage Notes

Use 诔 primarily in formal contexts when discussing eulogies or memorial speeches. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like '雷' (léi, thunder), which can change the meaning entirely. Common collocations include 诔文 (lěi wén, eulogy text) and 诔辞 (lěi cí, eulogy speech).

HSK Study Tips

While 诔 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to higher-level vocabulary related to death and mourning. Students should focus on understanding its formal usage and its contrasts with more common terms related to praise and speech.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 诔 with similar characters like 赞 (zàn, to praise) when discussing eulogies. For example, saying '我写了一篇赞文' instead of '我写了一篇诔文' is incorrect; the correct term in this context is 诔文.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 诔

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Etymology of 诔

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

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 诔

  1. 1The meaning half讠 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half耒 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 诔? 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 诔?

Decomposition of 诔

IDS Structure⿰讠耒
诔Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
耒lei3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 诔?

How to say to praise, to eulogize in Chinese

“to praise, to eulogize” in Chinese is诔lěi

The character 诔 (lěi) refers to the act of praising or eulogizing someone, particularly in the context of honoring the deceased. It is often used in formal settings, such as funerals or memorials, to pay respects and celebrate the life of the departed.

When to use 诔

Use 诔 primarily in formal contexts when discussing eulogies or memorial speeches. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding words like '雷' (léi, thunder), which can change the meaning entirely. Common collocations include 诔文 (lěi wén, eulogy text) and 诔辞 (lěi cí, eulogy speech).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 诔 with similar characters like 赞 (zàn, to praise) when discussing eulogies. For example, saying '我写了一篇赞文' instead of '我写了一篇诔文' is incorrect; the correct term in this context is 诔文.

Write 诔

诔

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

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Word Family of 诔

Words Containing This Character1
诔lěieulogy誄
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 诔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 诔

You can say, '他为她的父亲写了一篇诔文' (Tā wèi tā de fùqīn xiěle yī piān lěi wén), meaning 'He wrote a eulogy for her father.'

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 诔?

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.