How to Write 诺 (nuò) — Meaning “Promise; yes”

Imagine someone saying "Yes" (诺) as they nod their head — the right side 若 looks like a person with a head (the top part) and a body (the bottom part). The left side 讠 reminds you that a promise is spoken. So think: "A person speaking a 'yes' promise."

The left radical 讠 is written first: dot, horizontal折, then vertical, in three strokes. For the right side 若, start with the grass radical 艹 (cross, vertical, left-falling, right-falling) and finish with the bottom part 右. A common mistake is making the right side too wide — keep 若 narrow to balance with 讠.

诓 (kuāng) means "to deceive" or "to lie," using the same speech radical but with 匡 meaning "frame" — so it is about framing someone with false words. 诔 (lěi) means a funeral eulogy, with 耒 (a farming tool) as a phonetic, and is rarely used today. In contrast, 诺 is a common word for a sincere promise or agreement.

诺 appears in formal and serious contexts like 承诺 (commitment) and 诺言 (promise), often used in contracts or personal vows. Culturally, the character carries a strong sense of keeping one's word, reflecting traditional Chinese values of trustworthiness. It is also part of the word 许诺 (to promise), used in everyday talk but with a formal tone.

Common words containing 诺 include: 承诺 (chéng nuò) — to promise; commitment; 诺言 (nuò yán) — Promise; 许诺 (xǔ nuò) — To promise / A promise.