How to Write 詈 (lì) — Meaning “to curse”

Imagine a net (罒) falling over a person while they are speaking (言) — the net traps all their good words and only lets out angry curses. The sound "lì" can also remind you of "leer" — someone leering as they verbally attack you.

Write the top part 罒 first (vertical stroke, then horizontal, then the two inner strokes, then the bottom horizontal) — it should be wider than the bottom 言. A common mistake is making the top too narrow like 四, but 罒 has a flatter shape. The bottom 言 should sit neatly under it, with its first horizontal stroke shorter than the top.

詈 (lì) means 'to curse' and has a net (罒) over speech. 訚 (yín) means 'respectful speech' and has 门 (gate) inside — it describes polite, sincere talking. 訾 (zǐ) means 'to slander' and has 此 (this) inside — it is about criticizing or finding fault, but less violent than cursing. Visually, the top component is the key difference.

詈 is a formal, literary character rarely used in daily conversation; it appears in written Chinese, especially in classical texts or serious descriptions of verbal abuse. The compound 詈骂 means 'to verbally abuse' and is stronger than everyday words like 骂. Culturally, using 詈 conveys a sense of intense, harsh cursing from ancient or literary contexts.

Common words containing 詈 include: 詈骂 (lì mà) — to abuse verbally; 痛詈 (tòng lì) — severe scolding; 诟詈 (gòu lì) — to revile; to abuse.