How to Write 谲 (jué) — Meaning “deceitful; cunning”

Imagine a person giving a speech (讠) while secretly holding a sharp spear (矞 resembles a spear shape) to trick the audience. This image of a "speech with a hidden weapon" helps you remember that 谲 means cunning or deceitful.

The right part 矞 is tricky: it starts with a 矛 (spear) shape, then a cover 冖, and a 口 below. A common mistake is mixing up the top part with 予 or 矛 incorrectly, so carefully practice each stroke in the right component.

All three share the speech radical 讠, but the right parts differ: 谲 uses 矞 (cunning), 谟 uses 莫 (plan), and 谠 uses 党 (upright). Visually, 谟 has a "grass" top, 谠 has a "party" structure, and 谲 has a spear-like top. Meaning-wise, 谲 is negative (deceitful), 谟 is neutral (strategy), and 谠 is positive (honest speech).

谲 is a literary character not found in everyday conversation or HSK. It appears in formal writing, classical texts, or news to describe cunning behavior, especially in the word 诡谲 (guǐ jué) meaning "cunning" or "unpredictable." You might encounter it in historical novels or discussions of political trickery.

Common words containing 谲 include: 诡谲 (guǐ jué) — cunning; weird; unpredictable; 谲诈 (jué zhà) — crafty; deceitful; 变谲 (biàn jué) — to change unpredictably.