How to Write 讦 (jié) — Meaning “to expose others' faults; to accuse”

Imagine using words (讠) to "dry" (干) out someone's hidden secrets by exposing them. The character looks like a speech bubble with a straight line through it, like harsh words attacking a person.

First write the radical 讠 in two strokes, then write 干 in three strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical. Keep the right side 干 slightly narrower than the left radical, and align its vertical stroke with the center of 讠 to keep the character balanced.

讦 (jié) means to expose faults or accuse, while 计 (jì) means to calculate or plan, and 订 (dìng) means to fix or order. Visually, 讦 uses 干 (a vertical with two horizontals), 计 uses 十 (a cross), and 订 uses 丁 (a hook). Semantically, 讦 carries a negative tone, unlike the neutral or positive meanings of 计 and 订.

讦 is rarely used alone today; it appears in formal or literary words like 攻讦 (to vilify) and 讦发 (to expose wrongdoings). It has a negative connotation of harsh verbal attack, often found in political or legal contexts, not in casual conversation.

Common words containing 讦 include: 攻讦 (gōng jié) — to vilify; to attack verbally; 讦发 (jié fā) — To expose someone's wrongdoings; 讦私 (jié sī) — To expose someone's private affairs.