How to Write 词 (cí) — Meaning “Word / Term / Phrase”

Imagine the right side 司 looks like a person giving a speech, while the left radical 讠 is a speech bubble. Think: "A manager (司) speaking into a microphone (讠) – that's a 'word'." This connects the shape to the meaning of a spoken or written word.

Write the radical 讠 first: a dot, then a horizontal line that curves up. Then write 司: a top horizontal, a left-downward stroke, then the inner 'mouth' part (three strokes). Keep the left side narrow and the right side balanced; do not make the right side too wide.

词 (cí) means 'word/term', while 讦 (jié) means 'to expose someone's faults' and 讧 (hòng) means 'quarrel'. Visually, 词 has the right component 司 (manage), but 讦 has 干 (dry) and 讧 has 工 (work). These different right parts give each character a unique meaning.

词 is very common in everyday language, appearing in words like 单词 (word), 词典 (dictionary), and 歌词 (lyrics). It is also used in formal terms like 词汇 (vocabulary). In Chinese culture, 词 also refers to a classical poetic form with set rhythms.

Common words containing 词 include: 单词 (dān cí) — word; 词典 (cí diǎn) — Dictionary; 歌词 (gē cí) — Lyrics.