How to Write 讴 (ōu) — Meaning “To sing / To praise”

Imagine someone singing praises in a specific area (区) — the speech radical 讠 reminds you it's done with words or song. Picture a performer in a "zone" (area) loudly praising the audience to recall ōu.

Write the left radical 讠 first as two strokes (dot then a curved line). The right side 区 has an outer enclosure: first stroke a horizontal, then a left vertical, then an inner X-like shape (撇 and 点), and finally the bottom horizontal closing. A common mistake is forgetting to write the inner strokes before closing the box.

While 讴 (ōu) means to sing or praise, 计 (jì) means to calculate or plan, and 订 (dìng) means to agree or book. Visually, 讴 has the right component 区 (open box with an inner cross), whereas 计 has 十 (ten) and 订 has 丁 (nail). Their meanings and pronunciations are unrelated.

讴 is rarely used alone today; it mainly appears in the formal word 讴歌 (ōugē), meaning to eulogize or sing high praises, often in political or literary contexts. It is also found in classical poetry or song titles, but is not a common spoken character for everyday conversation.

Common words containing 讴 include: 讴歌 (ōu gē) — To eulogize / To sing the praises of; 吟讴 (yín ōu) — to sing / to chant; 讴吟 (ōu yín) — To chant / To sing.