How to Write 咛 (níng) — Meaning “to enjoin; to urge”

Imagine using your mouth (口) to give someone calm, peaceful (宁) reminders, like saying "take it easy" over and over. The phrase "叮咛" sounds like "ding-ning" — picture a bell ringing softly to remind you of something important. This links the meaning of urging to a gentle, repeated sound.

Start with the left radical 口, making it small and positioned in the upper-left area. Then write the right part: first the 宀 (roof) with a dot on top, then 丁 (a horizontal stroke with a hook downward). A common mistake is making the 口 too large or misplacing the dot of 宀—keep the whole character balanced and compact.

咛 (níng) has the component 宁 on the right and means 'to enjoin or remind repeatedly'. 吁 (xū or yù) has 于 on the right and means 'to sigh or appeal'. 吂 (máng) has 亡 on the right and is rare, often found in old texts. Visually, the right-side radicals are distinct: 宁 contains 宀 and 丁, while 于 is simpler and 亡 has a different stroke pattern.

咛 appears almost exclusively in the common word 叮咛 (dīng níng), which means 'to urge or remind repeatedly with care'. It is used in everyday speech and writing, often by parents, teachers, or friends giving gentle advice. In Chinese culture, such repeated reminders are seen as a sign of affection and concern, not annoyance.

Common words containing 咛 include: 叮咛 (dīng níng) — to urge repeatedly; to remind; 咛嘱 (níng zhǔ) — to enjoin; to urge; to exhort; 叮咛声 (dīng níng shēng) — the sound of repeated reminders.