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妲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
concubine of the last Shang emperorg, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13808, Hard
female personal name (archaic)unknown, 8 strokes, radical 女, rank #13808, Hard
(Da2) T2
  1. 1concubine of the last Shang emperor
  2. 2female personal name (archaic)
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March 24, 2026
(Da2)

The character 妲 (dá) historically refers to a concubine of the last emperor of the Shang dynasty, known for her beauty and influence. In modern contexts, it is used as a female personal name, often carrying an archaic or literary tone. It embodies themes of beauty and tragedy within Chinese literature and history.

Strokes8RadicalFrequency#13808DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

妲 is famously associated with the story of Daji, the concubine of King Zhou of Shang, who is often depicted as a symbol of seduction and destruction in Chinese folklore. This character has influenced various cultural representations, including operas and literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful woman (the radical 女, meaning 'female') standing beside a delicate doll (the character 妲 resembles a doll in its form), representing beauty. The pronunciation 'dá' can be remembered by thinking of 'dainty,' echoing her elegance.

Meanings of 妲

(Da2)
1concubine of the last Shang emperor
2female personal name (archaic)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 妲

Simplified
8Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 妲

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AI Study Notes for 妲

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a graceful woman (the radical 女, meaning 'female') standing beside a delicate doll (the character 妲 resembles a doll in its form), representing beauty. The pronunciation 'dá' can be remembered by thinking of 'dainty,' echoing her elegance.

Usage Notes

When using 妲, be aware that it is mostly found in historical or literary contexts, making it less common in everyday conversation. It is important to use this character with the understanding that it carries a specific cultural and historical weight, often evoking themes of power dynamics in relationships.

HSK Study Tips

While 妲 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, studying this character can enhance understanding of historical texts and increase familiarity with names and characters found in classical literature. Focus on recognizing its usage in context rather than memorization alone.

Cultural Note

妲 is famously associated with the story of Daji, the concubine of King Zhou of Shang, who is often depicted as a symbol of seduction and destruction in Chinese folklore. This character has influenced various cultural representations, including operas and literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 妲 with other similar characters like 娅 (yà) or 妍 (yán), which also relate to beauty but have different contexts. Always remember that 妲 specifically refers to historical figures rather than general beauty.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 妲

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Etymology of 妲

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

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 旦 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 妲?

Decomposition of 妲

IDS Structure⿰女旦
Full Character
=
nü3
left
dan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 妲?

Write 妲

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

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Cultural Notes for 妲

🏮Cultural insight

妲 is famously associated with the story of Daji, the concubine of King Zhou of Shang, who is often depicted as a symbol of seduction and destruction in Chinese folklore. This character has influenced various cultural representations, including operas and literature.

Word Family of 妲

Words Containing This Character2
female personal name (archaic)
妲己Daji (c. 11th century BC), mythical fox spirit and concubine of the last Shang Dynasty Emperor Zhou Xin 紂辛|纣辛[Zhòu​Xīn]
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 妲 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 妲

No, 妲 is considered archaic and is rarely used in contemporary names.