How to Write 嗲 (diē) — Meaning “Coquettish; sweet and charming.”

Imagine a little girl saying "Daddy" (爹) with a cute mouth (口) to get candy — that is exactly what 嗲 means: acting sweet and charming. The sound "diē" also sounds like the English "dear," which matches the sweet, affectionate tone.

Pay attention to the right side 爹: first write 父 (4 strokes: 撇,点,撇,捺), then below it write 多 (6 strokes: 撇,横撇,点,撇,横撇,点). The 口 on the left should be small and placed high, while the 爹 part is larger and balances the character. A common mistake is to make the two 夕 in 多 look identical — the top 夕 is slightly narrower.

嗲 focuses on a sweet, spoiled voice (口 + 爹), while 㕡 is a rare variant (sometimes used for the same meaning but not standard) and 唪 (fěng) means to chant or recite loudly. Visually, 嗲 has the 多 component, 唪 has 奉, and 㕡 has a different right side. In modern Chinese, only 嗲 is common for 'coquettish.'

嗲 is used in casual, informal speech to describe a woman or child acting cute and spoiled, often by speaking in a sweet, high-pitched voice. It is especially common in Shanghai and southern China, where it can be a compliment meaning charming. You might hear 撒嗲 (to act coquettishly) or 嗲声嗲气 (speaking in a sugary tone).

Common words containing 嗲 include: 嗲 (diē) — Coquettish; sweet and charming.; 撒嗲 (sā diē) — to act coquettishly; to act like a spoiled child; 嗲声嗲气 (diē shēng diē qì) — Speaking in a sweet, coquettish voice..