How to Write 嗔 (chēn) — Meaning “To be angry; to scold”

Imagine someone is truly (真) angry and opens their mouth (口) to shout at you. Picture the right part 真 as a person's face turning red with anger, and the left 口 as their open mouth yelling. This visual of a 'true-mouth' expressing anger will help you recall that 嗔 means to scold or rebuke.

Write the left radical 口 first (three strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal), then the right part 真 (10 strokes). The inner part of 真 has three short horizontal lines and a longer bottom horizontal; do not make the right half too wide or the top of 真 too tall. A common mistake is forgetting the small horizontal stroke inside the lower box of 真, so check the third horizontal from the top carefully.

All three have the 口 radical, but the right side differs: 嗔 has 真 (true), 㕡 has a rare component (related to a hollow sound, almost never used today), and 唪 has 奉 (to offer or recite). In meaning, 嗔 is about anger or blame, 㕡 is obscure and not in modern use, and 唪 means to chant or recite loudly. Visually, remember 真 inside 嗔 for 'true anger' versus 奉 inside 唪 for 'recite with mouth'.

嗔 is a formal or literary word, rarely used in everyday conversation; it appears in written Chinese, poetry, and idioms such as 嗔怪 (to blame) or 嗔怒 (anger). Culturally, 嗔 often conveys a slightly softer or dramatic anger, like a character in a story showing displeasure. You may see it in historical dramas or classical novels, but not in casual text messaging.

Common words containing 嗔 include: 嗔怪 (chēn guài) — To rebuke; to blame; 嗔怒 (chēn nù) — Anger; indignation; 嗔视 (chēn shì) — To glare at.