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詛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
詛zǔto curse; to pledge, to swearx, 12 strokes, radical 言
zǔ(zu3) T3
  1. 1to curse; to pledge, to swear
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March 24, 2026

詛zǔ(zu3)

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.

Strokes12Radical言
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, curses and superstitions play a significant role in folklore and traditional beliefs. The concept of cursing is often tied to the idea of fate and morality, where one's words can invoke supernatural consequences.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wizard casting a spell while angrily shouting 'zǔ' at their enemy. The character features the radical speech (言), which relates to the act of cursing someone with words. Picture the wizard's words swirling around like dark clouds, symbolizing the negativity of a curse.

Meanings of 詛

zǔ(zu3)
1to curse; to pledge, to swear
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 詛 means.

About 詛

詛Simplified
12Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 詛

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Podcast: 詛

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AI Study Notes for 詛

Quick Contrast

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.

Usage Notes

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.'

HSK Study Tips

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.

Common Mistakes

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.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 詛

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Etymology of 詛

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

Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詛.

Memory Hint

speech

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

Origin

詛 = 言 + 且. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 詛

IDS Structure⿰言且
詛Full Character
=
言yan2
left
且qie3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 詛?

How to say to curse; to pledge, to swear in Chinese

“to curse; to pledge, to swear” in Chinese is詛zǔ

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

詛

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

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Word Family of 詛

Words Containing This Character3
诅咒to curse詛咒
诅zǔcurse詛
咒诅to curse咒詛
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 詛

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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