How to Write 谗 (chán) — Meaning “to slander”

Imagine a person speaking (讠) lies that are as sneaky and crafty as a rabbit (the right side contains 兔, meaning rabbit). You can also think of 'chán' sounding like 'chant' — a chant of false accusations. This helps link the sound and meaning to the character's appearance.

Start by writing the left radical 讠 with a dot then a horizontal stroke. The right side 毚 is complex; be careful to write the components in the correct order — the top part first, then the middle, and finally the bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the small dot inside the 兔 part.

All three have the speech radical 讠, but their meanings differ. 诫 (jiè) means 'to warn' — its right side 戒 means 'to guard.' 诬 (wū) means 'to falsely accuse' — its right side 巫 means 'witch.' 谗 specifically means 'to slander' with a sense of speaking maliciously behind someone's back, often to a superior.

谗 is used in formal or literary contexts, often in words like 谗言 (chán yán, slanderous talk) and 进谗 (jìn chán, to slander someone to a superior). It is not common in daily conversation but appears in historical stories or discussions about gossip and betrayal. Culturally, it recalls the intrigues of ancient Chinese courts where officials used slander to harm rivals.

Common words containing 谗 include: 谗言 (chán yán) — slanderous talk; 进谗 (jìn chán) — To slander / To speak ill of someone to a superior; 谗害 (chán hài) — to frame with slander.