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谛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
谛dìcareful, attentive; to examine; the truthv, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #39953, Very Hard
谛dìtruth (Buddhism)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #39953, Very Hard
dì(di4) T4
  1. 1careful, attentive; to examine; the truth
  2. 2truth (Buddhism)
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March 24, 2026

谛(諦)dì(di4)

The character 谛 (dì) conveys the meaning of being careful and attentive, often in the context of examining something closely or discerning the truth. It is frequently used in Buddhist texts to refer to profound truths or realities that require deep understanding and contemplation.

Strokes11Radical讠Frequency#39953DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Buddhism, the term 谛 is often associated with the 'Four Noble Truths,' which are fundamental concepts that outline the nature of suffering and the path to enlightenment. Understanding these truths is essential for practitioners.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise monk, sitting quietly in meditation, examining the truths of the universe with great care. The character 谛 is like the monk's focused gaze, where the left side 讠 (speech) suggests communication and the right side 帝 (emperor) signifies authority, reflecting the profound nature of truth.

Meanings of 谛

dì(di4)
1careful, attentive; to examine; the truth
2truth (Buddhism)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 谛

谛Simplified
諦Traditional
11Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 谛

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Podcast: 谛

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AI Study Notes for 谛

Quick Contrast

真 (zhēn) vs 诚 (chéng) — use 谛 (dì) when emphasizing careful examination of profound truths, while 真 (zhēn) focuses on authenticity and 诚 (chéng) on sincerity.

Usage Notes

While 谛 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it appears in a more formal or literary context, especially in philosophical discussions. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters. Remember that this word carries a serious tone, suitable for formal writing or discussions.

HSK Study Tips

Although 谛 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your grasp of Chinese philosophical texts. It connects with words like 真 (zhēn), meaning 'true,' and 事实 (shìshí), meaning 'fact,' which might be more familiar at different HSK levels.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 谛 with similar characters like 迪 (dí) or 带 (dài). For example, using 谛 in a casual setting like 'I want to know the truth' is incorrect; instead, use 真 (zhēn) for a more appropriate expression.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 谛

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Etymology of 谛

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 帝 represents the sound. Simplified form of 諦.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 谛

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 帝 represents the sound. Simplified form of 諦.

  1. 1The meaning half讠 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half帝 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 谛? 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 谛?

Decomposition of 谛

IDS Structure⿰讠帝
谛Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
帝di4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 谛?

How to say careful, attentive; to examine; the truth in Chinese

“careful, attentive; to examine; the truth” in Chinese is谛dì

The character 谛 (dì) conveys the meaning of being careful and attentive, often in the context of examining something closely or discerning the truth. It is frequently used in Buddhist texts to refer to profound truths or realities that require deep understanding and contemplation.

When to use 谛

While 谛 is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it appears in a more formal or literary context, especially in philosophical discussions. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters. Remember that this word carries a serious tone, suitable for formal writing or discussions.

谛 or something close to it

真 (zhēn) vs 诚 (chéng) — use 谛 (dì) when emphasizing careful examination of profound truths, while 真 (zhēn) focuses on authenticity and 诚 (chéng) on sincerity.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 谛 with similar characters like 迪 (dí) or 带 (dài). For example, using 谛 in a casual setting like 'I want to know the truth' is incorrect; instead, use 真 (zhēn) for a more appropriate expression.

Write 谛

谛

Practice writing 谛 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 谛

Words Containing This Character4
真谛the real meaning真諦
谛dìto examine諦
谛听to listen carefully諦聽
谛视to look carefully諦視
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 真谛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 谛

No, 谛 is mainly used in literary or philosophical contexts, especially related to Buddhism.

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