How to Write 喋 (dié) — Meaning “to chatter”

Imagine a mouth (口) talking so much that it sounds like "die-die-die" endlessly. The right part 枼 looks like leaves (葉) blowing in the wind, making a non-stop rustling noise. Picture leaves chattering like a person who talks without stopping.

The left radical 口 should be small and positioned high, while the right side 枼 has a horizontal stroke across the top and a long vertical stroke through the center. Be careful not to make the mouth too large or to write the right side too wide – the overall shape is moderately narrow and balanced.

哥 (gē, elder brother) consists of two 可 stacked vertically, while 喋 has 口 plus 枼. 哥 is about family relationships, not speech. Visually, 哥 has a symmetrical double-layer structure, whereas 喋 is asymmetrical with a single mouth radical on the left. Their meanings and uses are completely separate.

喋 is almost always used in the word 喋喋不休 (dié dié bù xiū), meaning to chatter non-stop or talk incessantly. It appears in formal or literary descriptions of someone being overly talkative, often with a slightly negative tone. The character is rarely used alone and is not common in daily conversation.

Common words containing 喋 include: 喋喋不休 (dié dié bù xiū) — to chatter on and on / to talk incessantly; 喋喋 (dié dié) — chattering; 喋 (dié) — to chatter.