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诜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
诜shēnto question; to informx, 8 strokes, radical 讠
诜shēnto inquireunknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠
shēn(shen1)shen T1
  1. 1to question; to inform
  2. 2to inquire
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March 24, 2026

诜(詵)shēn(shen1)

The character 诜 (shēn) primarily means 'to question' or 'to inquire.' It is often used in contexts where clarification or information is sought, such as in dialogues or formal inquiries. This character combines the concept of communication with a focus on seeking knowledge.

Strokes8Radical讠
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the act of questioning is often seen as a pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, reflecting the value placed on education and learning. The character 诜 exemplifies this cultural emphasis on inquiry and understanding.

Memory tip

Imagine a detective (the radical 讠, meaning 'speech') who is always asking questions (the character itself) to uncover the truth. The sound 'shēn' can be remembered as 'shen' the investigator, always ready to interrogate.

Meanings of 诜

shēn(shen1)
1to question; to inform
2to inquire
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 诜 means.

About 诜

诜Simplified
詵Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 诜

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Podcast: 诜

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AI Study Notes for 诜

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 诜 with similar characters that also pertain to communication. It is more formal than casual questioning phrases, so it’s best used in written or formal spoken contexts. Be mindful of the tone; the first tone (shēn) is crucial for correct pronunciation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 诜 is not included in the HSK curriculum, it shares components with other characters related to communication. Students should focus on recognizing the 讠 radical and how it relates to other words about speaking or asking, such as 询 (xún) and 问 (wèn).

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using 诜 in casual conversation, where simpler terms like 问 (wèn) might be more appropriate. For example, saying '我诜你' (Wǒ shēn nǐ) would sound overly formal; instead, say '我问你' (Wǒ wèn nǐ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 诜

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Etymology of 诜

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

speech

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

Origin

诜 = 讠 + 先. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 诜

IDS Structure⿰讠先
诜Full character
=
讠yan2
left
先xian1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 诜?

How to say to question; to inform in Chinese

“to question; to inform” in Chinese is诜shēn

The character 诜 (shēn) primarily means 'to question' or 'to inquire.' It is often used in contexts where clarification or information is sought, such as in dialogues or formal inquiries. This character combines the concept of communication with a focus on seeking knowledge.

When to use 诜

Learners often confuse 诜 with similar characters that also pertain to communication. It is more formal than casual questioning phrases, so it’s best used in written or formal spoken contexts. Be mindful of the tone; the first tone (shēn) is crucial for correct pronunciation.

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is using 诜 in casual conversation, where simpler terms like 问 (wèn) might be more appropriate. For example, saying '我诜你' (Wǒ shēn nǐ) would sound overly formal; instead, say '我问你' (Wǒ wèn nǐ).

Write 诜

诜

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

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Word Family of 诜

Words containing this character1
诜shēnto inform詵

Frequently Asked Questions about 诜

You can use it in a formal context, such as '我想要询问一些问题' (Wǒ xiǎng yào xúnwèn yīxiē wèntí) meaning 'I want to inquire about some questions.'

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