How to Write 诘 (jié) — Meaning “To question; to interrogate”

Imagine a detective questioning a suspect who keeps saying 'Good luck!' (吉). The detective does not believe him and uses sharp words (讠) to cross-examine him, which is the meaning of 诘. This mental picture links the speech radical with the idea of a lucky statement being challenged.

The left radical 讠 is narrow and takes up about one-third of the square, while the right part 吉 is wider. Pay attention to the top of 吉: it is written as 士 (a horizontal stroke, then vertical, then another horizontal), not as 土 with a long bottom stroke. The final horizontal stroke of 口 should be slightly longer than the top ones to keep balance.

Unlike 讲 (jiǎng, to speak or explain), which uses 井 on the right, 诘 uses 吉 and means to interrogate or question sternly. Compared to 讳 (huì, to avoid or taboo), which has 韦 on the right, 诘 carries a more aggressive tone of cross-examination. Visually, the right part of 诘 looks like a stack of 士 over 口, while 讲 has two crossing lines and 讳 has a bent shape.

诘 appears mainly in formal, written Chinese, such as legal documents, news reports, or literature, where it means a strict or forceful questioning. Common words include 诘问 (to cross-examine) and 反诘 (a rhetorical question used to challenge someone). It is not used in casual daily conversation, but it adds a serious, authoritative tone when describing interrogations or debates.

Common words containing 诘 include: 诘问 (jié wèn) — To cross-examine; to interrogate; 反诘 (fǎn jié) — Rhetorical question; to cross-examine; 诘责 (jié zé) — To rebuke; to call to account.