How to Write 诮 (qiào) — Meaning “to ridicule”

Imagine a person (肖, like a small figure) using speech (讠) to make fun of someone. Think of 'speech that cuts like a knife' because 肖 resembles a knife shape. This helps connect the radical to the idea of mockery.

The radical 讠 is narrow and sits on the left, written with a dot, then a horizontal fold, and a vertical line. The right part 肖 has a top small element (like a vertical line) and a bottom '月' shape; keep the proportions balanced so the character isn't too wide. A common mistake is making the left radical too big.

诮 means 'to ridicule', while 证 means 'to prove' (right side 正, meaning correct) and 诂 means 'to explain ancient texts' (right side 古, meaning ancient). Visually, 诮 has 肖 on the right, 证 has 正, and 诂 has 古—each with different stroke patterns and meanings.

诮 is not common in everyday speech and is mostly found in formal or literary writing, such as 讥诮 (to mock) and 诮责 (to scold). It carries a sharp, critical tone and is often used in historical texts or serious articles to describe biting criticism.

Common words containing 诮 include: 讥诮 (jī qiào) — to mock; to deride; 诮责 (qiào zé) — to scold; 诮让 (qiào ràng) — to reprimand.