How to Write 讵 (jù) — Meaning “How / Unexpectedly (literary)”

Imagine a speech bubble (讠) that is suddenly filled with a huge (巨) surprise, making you say 'How?' or 'Who would have thought!' This visual connects the left radical to speaking and the right component to the unexpected size of the news.

Start with the radical 讠: first a dot, then a horizontal fold. Then write 巨: horizontal, horizontal fold, horizontal, and finally a vertical hook. Keep the left radical narrow and the right side wide. A common mistake is making the right part too small or mixing up the stroke order of 巨.

讵 (jù) has the right side 巨, while 计 (jì) has 十 and means 'to calculate', and 订 (dìng) has 丁 meaning 'to order' or 'to book'. Visually, 巨 has a larger, closed shape compared to the simple cross or hook of the others. The meaning of 讵 is also much rarer and literary.

讵 is a literary character not used in everyday speech. You will find it in classical texts, poetry, or formal writing within phrases like 讵料 (unexpectedly) or 讵知 (who would have known). It adds a classical, dramatic tone when expressing surprise or rhetorical questions.

Common words containing 讵 include: 讵料 (jù liào) — Unexpectedly / Who would have thought; 讵知 (jù zhī) — Who would have known / Unexpectedly; 讵敢 (jù gǎn) — How dare.