Meanings of 詛
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About 詛
Podcast: 詛
Podcast: 詛
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AI Study Notes for 詛
咒 (zhòu) - use 詛 (zǔ) when implying a curse that invokes harm, while 咒 (zhòu) is more about incantations or spells without necessarily implying malevolence.
Be mindful of the context in which you use 詛, as it carries a strong negative connotation. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation and is more often found in literary or formal contexts. A common collocation is 詛咒 (zǔzhòu), meaning 'to curse' or 'curse.'
Although 詛 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it aligns with higher-level vocabulary related to emotions and interpersonal relations. Students at this level should focus on understanding the nuances of negative sentiments and how they can be expressed in Mandarin.
Learners often confuse 詛 with similar-sounding words like 组 (zǔ), which means 'to form or assemble.' For example, saying '我詛这个项目' (I curse this project) when they meant to say '我组这个项目' (I assemble this project) is incorrect.
Pronunciation of 詛
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Etymology of 詛
Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詛.
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Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 詛
Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詛.
- 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half且 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayspeech
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 詛? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 詛
Identify the Components
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How to say to curse; to pledge, to swear in Chinese
“to curse; to pledge, to swear” in Chinese is詛
The character 詛 (zǔ) primarily means 'to curse' or 'to swear,' often in a negative or malevolent context. It can imply invoking harm or misfortune upon someone through spoken words or promises. This term is commonly used in literature and folklore, especially in contexts related to curses or spells.
When to use 詛
Be mindful of the context in which you use 詛, as it carries a strong negative connotation. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation and is more often found in literary or formal contexts. A common collocation is 詛咒 (zǔzhòu), meaning 'to curse' or 'curse.'
詛 or something close to it
咒 (zhòu) - use 詛 (zǔ) when implying a curse that invokes harm, while 咒 (zhòu) is more about incantations or spells without necessarily implying malevolence.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 詛 with similar-sounding words like 组 (zǔ), which means 'to form or assemble.' For example, saying '我詛这个项目' (I curse this project) when they meant to say '我组这个项目' (I assemble this project) is incorrect.
Write 詛
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Practice writing 詛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 詛
Compound Meaning
What does 诅咒 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 詛
No, 詛 is more often found in literary contexts or discussions about curses and superstitions.
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