How to Write 诫 (jiè) — Meaning “to warn or admonish”

Imagine a parent giving a serious warning to their child: the speech bubble (讠) contains the word '戒,' which looks like a spear (戈) held by two hands (廾) — a visual of 'stop and guard yourself.' This reminds you that 诫 is about giving a cautionary message.

The left radical 讠 is written with only 2 strokes — a dot first, then a horizontal fold with a slight hook. On the right side, 戒 has 7 strokes: start with the horizontal stroke for 戈, then write the two hands (廾) below, making sure the vertical strokes are parallel. A common mistake is writing the radical too wide or forgetting the hook on the 戈 component.

诫 (jiè) means 'to warn,' while 证 (zhèng) means 'to prove' or 'to testify,' and 诂 (gǔ) means 'to explain ancient texts.' Visually, 诫 contains 戒 (warning/guard), 证 contains 正 (correct/upright), and 诂 contains 古 (ancient). So the right-side component gives you a clue about the meaning: 诫 is about caution, not proof or explanation.

诫 is most often seen in formal or written Chinese, especially in the words 告诫 (gào jiè, to warn) and 劝诫 (quàn jiè, to admonish). It is used in serious contexts, such as legal warnings, parental advice, or moral lessons. A cultural example is the phrase '君子三诫' (three admonitions for a gentleman), which appears in classical Chinese teachings.

Common words containing 诫 include: 告诫 (gào jiè) — to warn; to admonish; 劝诫 (quàn jiè) — to admonish / to warn; 诫 (jiè) — to warn or admonish.