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諛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
諛yúto flatter, to cajolezg, 15 strokes, radical 言
yú(yu2) T2
  1. 1to flatter, to cajole
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

諛yú(yu2)

The character 諛 (yú) means to flatter or cajole, often implying insincerity or excessive praise. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is attempting to manipulate or win favor through compliments or flattery, particularly in social or political situations.

Strokes15Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of flattery is often linked to social hierarchy and relationships (guanxi), where individuals may flatter superiors to gain favor or opportunities.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'yawning' (sounds like 'yú') person who is so flattered by praise that they can't help but smile and open their mouth wide. The character 諛 has a part that resembles a mouth (口), symbolizing speaking or flattering someone.

Meanings of 諛

yú(yu2)
1to flatter, to cajole
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 諛

諛Simplified
15Strokes
言Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 諛

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Podcast: 諛

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AI Study Notes for 諛

Quick Contrast

谄 (chǎn) vs 奉承 (fèngchéng) — choose 諛 (yú) for a focus on insincerity in flattery, while 谄 (chǎn) emphasizes deceitful praise and 奉承 (fèngchéng) is more about servile flattery.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is using 諛 in a straightforward compliment context where it might convey a more negative connotation. It's more suitable for informal contexts when discussing insincere praise. Be cautious of the tone used; 諛 is not usually used in formal writing.

HSK Study Tips

While 諛 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to other words describing behavior or emotions (like 赞美, zànměi, to praise). Students should focus on the nuances of flattery versus genuine praise when learning related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 諛 with 赞美 (zànměi), which means to genuinely praise. For example, saying '我很諛他' (I flatter him) instead of '我很赞美他' (I admire him) can change the intended meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 諛

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Etymology of 諛

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

speech

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 諛

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half臾 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 諛? 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 諛?

Decomposition of 諛

IDS Structure⿰言臾
諛Full Character
=
言yan2
left
臾Yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 諛?

How to say to flatter, to cajole in Chinese

“to flatter, to cajole” in Chinese is諛yú

The character 諛 (yú) means to flatter or cajole, often implying insincerity or excessive praise. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is attempting to manipulate or win favor through compliments or flattery, particularly in social or political situations.

When to use 諛

A common mistake is using 諛 in a straightforward compliment context where it might convey a more negative connotation. It's more suitable for informal contexts when discussing insincere praise. Be cautious of the tone used; 諛 is not usually used in formal writing.

諛 or something close to it

谄 (chǎn) vs 奉承 (fèngchéng) — choose 諛 (yú) for a focus on insincerity in flattery, while 谄 (chǎn) emphasizes deceitful praise and 奉承 (fèngchéng) is more about servile flattery.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 諛 with 赞美 (zànměi), which means to genuinely praise. For example, saying '我很諛他' (I flatter him) instead of '我很赞美他' (I admire him) can change the intended meaning.

Write 諛

諛

Practice writing 諛 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 諛

Words Containing This Character4
谀yúto flatter諛
阿谀奉承sweet-talking阿諛奉承
阿谀to flatter阿諛
谀辞flattering words諛辭
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 谀 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 諛

Yes, 諛 generally carries a negative connotation, suggesting insincerity in flattery.

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