How to Write 咄 (duō) — Meaning “to scold; oh! (exclamation)”

Imagine someone opening their mouth (口) and angrily shouting "DUO!" as words burst out (出). The sound "duō" sounds like "doe," so picture a deer (doe) yelling at you to remember the scolding meaning.

Write 口 first (three strokes), then inside-out: left vertical, top horizontal, right vertical, bottom horizontal) — actually for 咄, the right part 出 is written: vertical fold, vertical, then the bottom 山 (mountain) strokes: vertical, vertical fold, vertical. Common mistake: making the right side too wide; keep 咄 narrow overall with balanced height between left and right components.

吁 (xū) means "to sigh" or "shush!" and uses 于 (yú) which relates to a sound of exhalation, while 吂 (máng) means "not speaking" or "silent" and contains 亡 (wáng, to lose). In contrast, 咄 specifically expresses a sharp scolding or sudden exclamation, and its right component 出 suggests the force of words coming out.

咄 is rarely used alone; it mainly appears in the idiom 咄咄逼人 (duō duō bī rén) meaning "overbearing" or "aggressive," often describing someone's attitude or tone. The exclamation "咄!" is uncommon in daily speech but can be found in classical literature or martial arts stories to show sudden anger or surprise.

Common words containing 咄 include: 咄咄逼人 (duō duō bī rén) — overbearing; aggressive; 咄嗟 (duō jiē) — in an instant; very quickly; 呵咄 (hē duō) — to scold / to berate.