How to Write 诵 (sòng) — Meaning “to recite”

Picture a person (the speech radical 讠) walking through a tunnel (甬) while reciting a poem loudly. The echo in the tunnel helps you remember that 诵 means to recite or declaim.

Write the speech radical 讠 first: a dot then a horizontal stroke that bends down. Then the right side 甬 starts with a stroke like the top of 用, then a vertical line through it, and finally the lower part like 月. Keep the right part narrow and balanced so the character is not too wide.

诵 (sòng) means to recite aloud, while 证 (zhèng) means to prove or certify, and 诂 (gǔ) means to explain ancient texts. Visually, the right side differs: 甬 in 诵, 正 in 证, and 古 in 诂. Use the context of speaking versus proving versus explaining old words.

You will see 诵 in formal or literary settings, such as 朗诵 (reciting poems or speeches) and 背诵 (reciting from memory). It is also used in religious contexts like chanting sutras. While not common in daily conversation, it appears in school activities, performances, and classic literature.

Common words containing 诵 include: 背诵 (bèi sòng) — Recite from memory; 朗诵 (lǎng sòng) — To recite; to declaim; 诵读 (sòng dú) — to read aloud.