How to Write 谍 (dié) — Meaning “spy or intelligence”

Imagine a spy (谍) whispering secret information (讠) under a large leaf (枼) to avoid being seen. The leaf hides the spy's speech. This picture combines the left and right parts into a memorable story.

When writing 谍, make sure the left radical 讠 is narrow and the right side 枼 is wider and balanced. The right part has four strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical. A common mistake is making the right side too tall or confusing it with 葉 (leaf).

While 谍 means "spy" or "intelligence," 诫 (jiè) means "to warn" or "admonish," and 诬 (wū) means "to falsely accuse." Visually, the right sides differ: 谍 has 枼 (leaf), 诫 has 戒 (to guard), and 诬 has 巫 (witch). The meanings are unrelated despite sharing the speech radical.

谍 appears in common words like 间谍 (spy), 谍战 (espionage warfare), and 谍报 (intelligence report). It is frequently seen in news about spies, movies, and TV dramas, especially in the popular Chinese genre of 谍战 drama. The character is uncommon in daily conversation but essential for discussing espionage.

Common words containing 谍 include: 间谍 (jiàn dié) — spy; 谍战 (dié zhàn) — espionage warfare; 谍报 (dié bào) — intelligence or spy report.